


The Troubles from Monsters and Men

by ImmerGladsss



Series: Moonacre [2]
Category: The Little White Horse - Elizabeth Goudge, The Secret of Moonacre (2008)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 22:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13304649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmerGladsss/pseuds/ImmerGladsss
Summary: Part 2: After "When a Young Heart Loves", Maria finds herself at a loss. With Robin's memories of her wiped clean, her last year in school, and the emergence of enemies, Maria will have to give it all she's got and work with her friends if she ever wants her life to be as it once was. Maria x Robin. Inspired by the Little White Horse book but based off the Secret of Moonacre movie.





	1. What Came Before

**Author's Note:**

> \-- UPDATE 02/04/2018-- Hi All, unfortunately, I will have to take a brief hiatus from writing. I'm graduating from college this year and to do so I need to complete a sort of research thesis for my engineering degree. Well..... UGH..... My professor needs me to present at a conference this March, and well they have been on my case making sure my project is at the level it needs to be. So ... That means I may not be able to write until afterwards. I am very sorry :( I always told myself I never wanted to just leave a story as it is, not only is it frustrating to you all, but it also means I may lose your attention. But I also don't want to betray you all and leave you readers hanging. I know many of you are guests and don't have accounts, which is why I try to push myself to publish by deadlines, but this school year has been kicking my butt and dragging me through the mud. I am very sorry, especially that I don't know when I'll put up the next chapter. :(   
> ________________
> 
> Disclaimer: I, Immergladsss, do not own The Little White Horse nor the Secret of Moonacre nor the characters from either of those stories. Nor do I intend to claim them as my own. I am simply writing a sequel to the story of how I wish a sequel to The Secret of Moonacre could have gone. This is a sequel to the sequel of my own design :)  
> ...I think I can only take credit for characters that are newly introduced in "When a Young Heart Loves" and forwards...
> 
> If you have yet to read the first part of this story (When a Young Heart Loves) I highly suggest that you do. I sort of strayed far and you may be confused as to what's going on.  
> Also 3 things to note:  
> 1) this part begins soon after chapter 25 from part 1. Chapter 26 (Epilogue) will happen, but we're not there yet (read to know Charles' fate!)  
> 2) This first chapter is a bit heavy….sorry!  
> 3) There is a flashback scene, its italicized and 'centered'. It shows what happened when Robin woke up after Althea cursed him. Its my first time writing a flashback so let me know what you think!
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

The shallow tied of water lapped against Maria's thighs and soaked through her night dress. She shivered as a cold ocean breeze fluttered by. Maria was sitting in the cave by the beach. It was the same one Albert had been hidden in, the one Robin and William came out from. She wasn't sure what she was doing here, but she was sure she hadn't wanted to come back.  
The cave was quiet. Only the gentle sound of the waves and a periodic drip of water from the stalagmites above her was heard. Though, if she listened carefully, she was sure there was the feint rush of a river deep in the cave behind her. Ahead of her, the entrance of the cave opened to reveal the pastel colors of dawn. Sprinkling the sky with hues of pink, blue, orange, and purple. The corner or Maria's mouth twitched. Maria knew she should get up. Ms. Heliotrope will throw a fit if she came home with another ruined dress. But Maria didn't listen to herself. Instead she cupped a handful of water. She peered in to it and watched her reflection fade away as the water seeped through her fingers and back to the surface pool around her.

Maria wished Robin was here with her. He would have loved the sight.  
She missed him.

She hated that all the progress they made was wrecked, again. She would have to start over. This time, without the help of their memories together. Maria would somehow have to prove to Robin they had once been friends.

A foggy mist rose form the water around her. At first it was a thin, transparent haze, but then it grew so dense she could barely see in front of her. The air began to feel heavy. An unnatural stillness fell over the cave. Even the sounds of the waves were muffled. A purple light appeared at the entrance of the cave. Maria knew only one entity who emitted such colored light. The sharp click of her raptor talons against the rocky floor echoed off the cavern walls, walking towards her.

Maria climbed on to her feet. Her night dress, translucent and drenched with sea water, clung to her body. Maria shook her skirt loose and glared at the monster. "What have you done to him? Give him back!"

Althea cackled. "Girl, I've done nothing that he didn't already want."

"Liar!"

Althea's laughter resonated through the cave. Maria reached for her pearl necklace, but her neck was bare. Panicking, she swiped at the fog by her feet, thinking her pearls must have slipped off of her while she was sitting down. But before she could get far along her search, Althea's chuckling dimmed. As with her laughter, soon Maria's surroundings began to fade away into black.

Maria was alone. Surrounded only by darkness. Despite the emptiness of the void, it was suffocating. Her breathing became labored and she strained her eyes to find something, anything, in the dark. But it was all black.

"Mrs. Heliotrope?"

"L-Loveday!"

"Uncle!"

She called out their names in vein, her voice fell flat to her ears. With her arms held out in front of her, Maria carefully took a first few steps, testing the smooth floor on which she walked on. The floor was cold and chilled her toes. Feeling reassured, Maria walked forward. Her foot fell through the blackness and she screamed. She was falling.

Suddenly, she came to a stop. Her nose mere inches above the old wooden floor. Maria put down her hands and set herself on all fours. Looking around, she recognized the old fireplace and curtains that were once burgundy and green. Maria was in her old parlor. It was devoid of all furniture, of all life. She found herself in the hollowness of her once home in London.

"Hello?" Maria called out. Not even her echo answered back. Her footsteps caused the dusty floorboards to creak as she stepped towards the door to the hallway. Before she could reach it, a heavy scuffle came from the other side.

_BANG-BANG-BANG_

The parlor's door shook with each pounding knock. Maria jumped and clasped a hand to her mouth.

The door knob started rattling.

Maria panicked. Thinking quickly, she climbed onto the window sill. She pulled her legs up to her chest and dragged the moldy and moth-eaten curtains around her. Then, Maria waited.

A booming bang shook the room as the door was thrown open. Maria stifled her breath. The drumming of her heartbeat was loud at her ears and matched the thumping footsteps that marched into the room. They came closer to the window she was hidden at. The curtains beside her quivered. Suddenly a sword swooshed down and began to slash at the curtains, just barely missing the one she hid behind. Maria covered her whimper with her hand and prayed for her life. She tried to open the window with her other hand. She needed to escape. But it was barred and refused to budge.

Then, the footsteps pounded away.

Maria quivered and stayed hidden. After what seemed like eternity, she forced herself to breath. She needed to go home immediately. She edged the curtain to the side, and quietly stepped back into the room. Maria avoided touching the shredded curtain beside her. She felt exposed. Maria attentively watched the now opened door to the hallway. She was fearful the pounding steps would make their way back to the room. Maria was not safe here. She needed to leave, but there was only one way out the room. Through the door the figure came in from. Maria looked around the room for a weapon of sorts, she was out of luck. She hesitantly walked to the door.

With each step her body protested, wishing instead to go back into hiding. A dreadful feeling grew in her stomach. There was something out there. Something sinister.

Maria's ears pricked at the sound of scurrying steps.  
Thoughts of panic and terror flashed through her mind, freezing her in place. Her heart beat at her chest, wishing to leave her body.

A black shadow darted down the hallway and past the door.

Maria's breathing hitched. Though her eyes were wide with fear, she forced herself closer to the door. Maria sucked in a deep breath and slowly peered out the doorway.

At the other end of the hall, going up the stairs, the shadow continued down another corridor. Was she alone now? Maria didn't think so, but her instinct warned her to keep moving. She didn't want to be a sitting duck. Maria reluctantly exited the old parlor and slid through the hall. Forcing her steps to be light and quiet, her eyes darted around her, watching.  
At the stairs, she raised her head to make sure no one would be waiting for her at the other end. Then quickly, she walked on the outermost edge of the stairway, avoiding the creaking steps she once knew. The hallway upstairs was darker. Any bit of light that made it through the windows was snuffed by ages of cobwebs and grime. The paint on the walls was fading. In some areas the walls were cracking and falling apart, revealing the brick and rotting wood underneath the chipped paint. Maria followed the path the shadow took.  
It led to her father's room.

She was confused. Light streamed from the edges of the doorway. Was there someone there? Maria did not want to find out. She was about to turn back when a soft whistling came from the room. It was a song her father once loved to whistle as he worked. Maria's heart ached. Could that be him, was he really here?

Maria reached for the door, and slowly turned the knob.

She heard a small click, and the door creaked opened.

Maria tightened her mouth and went in. But all hope was crushed. There was no one in the room. Not even the light that was once shinning through the door frame was there anymore. Maria sighed and stepped inside. It was unchanged, much like how she remembered it. Unlike the rest of the house, her father's room was still furnished. But his bed, drawer, and desk were decaying and covered with dust and debris. Rats scurried across the floor and hid under the bed and old furniture

At the center of the bed was the book.

Her Moonacre book.

Maria looked around, worried this had all been a trap.

She crept closer and her hand reached for it.

As her fingers touched the cover of the book, deafening winds shattered the window and filled the room. She fought against the force that tried to blow her back. The old furniture cracked and crumbled under the blistering winds.

The book flew open and sheets of her book tore out and flew around her. She shielded her face with her hands.

A roaring voice shook the room and yelled "RUN-RUN-RUN-RUN!"

Then the cold feeling of terror seized her once more. The stormy winds stopped and the pages fell fluttering to the floor. She heard the pounding footsteps come up from behind her. A cold chill clutched her heart and Maria paled. She braced herself and turned around.

Maria sat upright, screaming. She was in her bed, back in Moonacre. She covered her heart with her hands and gasped for air. It had all just been a nightmare.

One that she could no longer remember.

* * *

Robin glared at his reflection in the mirror. It was still dark out, though the sun would be rising soon. There went another night without sleep. His thoughts wouldn't let him.

He just simply didn't understand! How did this happen...Was it really true?

Every reflection was of a face he didn't recognize. His hair was still an unruly mane of brown curls, but longer and thicker. His eyes were still a deep brown, yet they were bloodshot and devoid of all life. And his face, when did he start growing so much facial hair? He had somehow grown up without him even realizing it. That just simply wasn't possible.  
And why did he have more scars? He swore the last scar he'd received was from that Merryweather girl and her needle. And though it seemed like it was only yesterday, the scar on his hand was fading, as if it had indeed happened some time ago. Then there was stitching on the arm of his leather jacket that matched in location to a fading cut on his arm, as though he had been struck recently.  
Robin twisted his torso, inspecting the rest of his body. Hang on, had he been stabbed? The feint markings of hastily sown stitches stretched below his chest to his bottommost rib.  _When did that happen?_  
Robin growled.  _They are going to pay for that!  
_ But who…Robin grimaced, not knowing who or what to blame for that scar along his side.

_Charles?_ A voice seemed to suggest. Robin shook his head, impossible. That nob couldn't hold a knife even if his life depended on it.

Finally, there was the matter of that other scar on his back. Robin turned his back to the mirror and looked over his shoulder. A jagged circular scar, the size of his hand, was burned between his shoulder blades. It was a fleshy bright pink and white, raw and tender in patches that still needed more healing.  
His friends claimed it was a monster that did that.

They said Robin took the hit after the monster had tried to curse the Moon Princess instead.

Robin snorted. As if he would ever do that. He would have to be a fool to do something as stupid as that. Especially when he had tried so hard to capture her. It just didn't make any sense.

Richard even claimed Robin had developed 'feelings' for that girl. But Robin wasn't having any of that. He immediately flew into a rage and grabbed Richard by his shirt, demanding he never say such stupid things.

Those weren't the only signs that time truly had past. Yet Robin refused to believe them, thinking—no swearing he must be cursed. That was it! He must be under a spell. There was no other possible reason for why this was happening to him.

Robin was cagey and confused. He felt the same but others told him he was different. He felt that no time had passed but his surroundings and reflection proved otherwise. He felt as though just yesterday he was trying to capture the Moon Princess, but his friends swore that happened three years ago.

Where had those memories gone? Why didn't he miss them? It certainly was a large amount of time for them to just, up and vanish.  _It must be a spell.  
_ He must be under an enchantment.

And his father? When had he grown so old and so—so peaceful! This was not the De Noir clan leader Robin had grown up with. The man who had forced him to disown his sister. The man Robin had feared so much he was willing to take a little girl's life just to avoid his wrath.

But of course, she too was different. She was not that same little girl he so vividly remembered tossing into the dungeons…  _Was it a few days ago?_  Loveday said it wasn't. Yet he recalled that it was. They told him that too happened over three years ago.  
No, they must be lying to him. It just couldn't be true!

When she invaded his bedroom, he didn't even recognize her! It was only her ridiculous gown and 'proper' manner of carrying herself that he correctly guessed she must be a Merryweather. It wasn't until that boy, William, said her name that it clicked.

How could that—that girl that barged in; that seemed to be so happy to see him; that for a brief moment, gone unrecognized, appeased his beating heart; how can that—she be the same girl, the one he had needed to kill?

What happened to him? What happened to her? Why did thoughts of her agitate him so much, pulling him in various directions?

_Witchcraft, magic, that must be it._

Robin stiffened and gasped. He clutched the basin and doubled over. He shut his eyes, as a sharp, pulsating pain shot from the base of his head up to his temples. His mind flashed back to that day he found everything so changed.

… _Robin woke up, confused. He had strips of gauze wrapped around his chest. His back felt like it was on fire._  
Where was he?  
He was in a room that he thought he recognized, but it wasn't his. It was warmer, and despite the unfamiliarity of it, seemed almost homely and welcoming. His hat and scarf laid atop his neatly folded jacket on the nightstand. His boots were covered in sand and stood by the door.  
The balcony doors were thrown wide open, showing him a beautiful, and well cared for, garden.

_Robin furrowed his brows, the castle didn't have any gardens… not since his sister left._

_Robin groaned. His father was going to kill him. He failed to capture the little witch, again._

_A stirring to his side caught his attention. Robin sucked in his breath and forced himself to turn around, trying to ignore the pain from his back._  
Robin sat up.  
His eyes widened.  
There, by his bed, was his sister! She was holding a sleeping child with a head full of shaggy black hair. And beside her, was Sir Benjamin. They were watching him, worried.

" _Robin, how are you feeling?" Loveday asked. "Marmaduke did his best, but I'm afraid Althea's magic was too potent. Your wound will take some time to heal."_

_Confused, Robin reached an arm over his back and winced. Loveday moved to place a hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away, backing up to the farthest edge of the bed. His heart began to quicken, his gut warning him to leave._

_Fearing Sir Benjamin must have captured him and was holding him prisoner, Robin jumped from his bed, startling the couple. He winced at the pain from his back and smashed his hat over his head. He grabbed his scarf, jacket, and boots, not bothering to put any on._

_Then he ran._

_When Sir Benjamin tried to stop him, Robin yelled, "Stay away from me!", and shoved him to the side._

_He kept running. He ran out the bedroom and past the manicured gardens._

_Robin ran all the way home._

_In the great hall, he found his father and friends, but they all looked different. Older. There were two other young men he didn't recognize, but from the way they looked at him, with relieved smiles on their faces, it seemed he should._

" _Robin! You're awake!" Henry said, standing up._

" ' _Bout time you joined us! We thought we lost you!" Richard grinned._

" _Blimey, why aren't you wearing your boots?" David asked, causing one of the unfamiliar boys to choke on his drink from laughter._

_Robin was breathing hard, his barren eyes darting over his surroundings. His gut feeling told him something was off. It was home, but it felt, different. Wrong._

_Sir Benjamin and Loveday came running in. "Robin, what happened? Why did you leave?"_

_Robin's eyes furrowed. Loveday, why was she here?_

_He backpedaled to the wall and stifled a painful groan as another shot of pain burst from his back. He watched his father apprehensively. Expecting him to throw another fit of fury at seeing his daughter here, and with that Merryweather._

_He didn't._

" _Robin, what's wrong?" Loveday asked._

_He stayed silent. His eyes wildly looking around the room, as though expecting something, someone, to blow up._

" _Are you a dolt? Speak, boy!" His father commanded._

_He raised a shaking finger towards Loveday. "Why—why is she here?"_

" _What in the devil are you talking about boy? She's your sister!"_

" _But she's with the Merryweather! Why are they here?"_

_At this, the boys looked to one another, confused. Sir Benjamin scowled, and Loveday raised a hand to her lips._

_Mr. De Noir let out an exasperated sigh. "He's your brother-in-law, you dolt! What—"_

" _You traitor!" Robin shouted at Loveday. "All this time, we thought you were missing, hurt! You could've been dead for all we knew! But you were off with him! How could you betray us!_ "

_Robin went to grab a knife from the table, but David gripped his arm. "Robin, what are you doing?"_

" _What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm the only one doing what I'm supposed to! Defending this ruddy family! What in the devil are you all doing, letting a bunch of Merryweathers in! They're only looking for the pearls to beat us with!"_

" _Robin what are you talking about—"_

"— _the girl? Where is she?" Robin asked Loveday and Sir Benjamin, pointing the knife at them. "Bet you brought her here too, didn't you? Are you distracting us while she goes around and has a look?"_

" _Robin, what games are you playing at? What devil has taken a hold of you?"_

"— _Robin, he doesn't remember_ _…_ _" Loveday said with a small gasp. "He's confused. He doesn't remember what's happened."_

_Robin scowled. "Liar! Don't you dare play mind tricks with me!"_

" _Robin, what's the last thing you remember?"_

" _I was chasing that little witch through the forest, after she escaped our dungeons! Next thing I know, I'm at that blasted manor, held prisoner!"_

" _Robin, that—that was three years ago. And that's not what happened, not at all! You helped Maria find the pearls, together! And just now, you weren't a prisoner, you were recovering from Althea's attack. Althea, Charles kidnapping Albert, do you honestly not remember?" …_

Robin shuttered and opened his eyes. He slammed his fist on the mirror, shattering it. He wished it was all a dream. He wished things were in fact, as he remembered them. But they weren't.

A shard of glass tore through Robin's hand. He ignored the pain as the cut bled along the side of his palm, dripping blood into the basin.

He stomped his way to bed. Robin kicked the bedpost before letting himself fall on top of his mattress. He just couldn't believe it.

His eyes fell on a pile of books in the corner of his room.  _And just who's book are those?_  He didn't read... did he?

Some were new, others old. All had a growing layer of dust. One was wrapped, ready to be mailed, but a blob of ink had spilled over the address. The name was completely blotted out. He could barely make out the address, London. He didn't know anyone in London… did he?

Robin ran his uninjured hand over his face and closed his eyes and wished for this nightmare to end.

_-oOo-_

Robin woke up with a start. His heart was racing, pounding at his chest. He was damp with sweat and his hair stuck on to his face. The sun was now high up in the sky. The sunlight that forced its way through his curtains, pained his eyes.

His hand was throbbing, his cut struggled to turn into a scab.

There it was, again! That growing feeling that disturbed his sleep and woke him. That made its uninvited appearance when he least expected it. He had felt it only a few times before.  
That feeling, that—that calling! Someone was calling him. Something was grasping at his heart and crushing him. An empty void yearning to be filled.

He needed to find it.

Robin threw on his black tunic and boots. Then, he ran.

He ran past the startled servants and past the front gates.

The cold, sinking, feeling in his heart growing stronger.

Robin continued running, all the way to the forest. Still he did not stop. Letting the calling, the yearning, guide him. It was peaking, soon it would be dimming. He needed to hurry. He couldn't lose it again. He couldn't handle the void one more time. He couldn't stand the sudden emptiness, after that sense of yearning, for another day.  
_Please,_ he begged, wanting—no,  **needing** _,_  to find it.

Robin stumbled. His foot caught on an upraised root and he fell to the forest floor. He rolled into a clearing in the forest.

The feeling vanished.

Robin looked up to the bright blue skies. He pounded his fists onto the floor, sending a flurry of pain through his body from his injured hand and back.

Robin bellowed a roar to the skies.

He was empty once more.

He missed it.

Again.

* * *

A single tear fell onto the illustrated page. Maria wiped it away and sniffed. It was the last page in her Moonacre book. The page where Robin got struck by the Monster's spell. Althea.

Maria glared. Althea and Charles were locked away, somewhere in the castle. Mr. De Noir's brother demanded Charles be kept in the castle. They were "family _",_ he argued. Maria rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh.  
_Oh yes, now they're family. Now, for simply having the De Noir name, they weren't punishing him. After all he'd done!_ Maria huffed.  
As for Althea, they were all working hard to strip her of her powers. She was too dangerous. They found iron kept her weak, like the witches of old. And so, her wrists, ankles, and beak were kept chained up, to stop her from casting any magic. Only her beak was unlocked during her feeding time. Maria was sure Althea continued to haunt her in her dreams, but she counted herself lucky she didn't remember those nightmares after morning.

A knock at her door pulled Maria from her thoughts. "Miss Maria, the carriage is ready," Digweed said through the door.

"Thank you Digweed, I'll be down in a moment!"

She closed her book and took it in her arm, pressing it close to her chest. Taking her luggage by the handle, she made her way down her tower's steps to the hallway. Coming into the parlor, her heart warmed. It was the De Noir gang, all dressed in their leathers and bowler hats. Robin wasn't with them.

"Henry, Richard, and David! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We're here on business, actually. Seems we'll have to run it 'till Robin, erm, gets better," Henry answered. "We're waiting to speak with your uncle over acquiring some new lands."

She noticed the boys looked over her shoulders, as though searching for someone. "I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but the girls have all gone back to London," she teased.

Henry scowled and averted his eyes. Richard smirked and David stuttered to defend himself.

Maria laughed, but her mirth lasted too short, thinking of Robin once more. "How... how is he?"

Henry sighed. He took off his bowler hat and shook his shaggy black hair. It fell into place, shielding his deep-set blue eyes. "Still the same."

"Where is he?"

"Oh, I reckon locked up in his room or wandering about the forest. It's the only thing he does," Richard answered with a shrug. "He's been a bit of an arse lately, if you ask me."

"He doesn't believe us, Maria. Thinks you've put us under a spell," David added.

Maria frowned. "Has… has Althea said something?"

"About Robin?" Henry asked.

Maria nodded her head.

Richard scoffed.

"No. Bloody bird refuses to speak," David answered.

Maria frowned. "I haven't found anything either. I fear she's put him under a curse, but I'm not sure how to break it."

"True love's first kiss?" Richard suggested, wiggling his brows.

Maria's face fell, she faltered. David elbowed Richard, who could only laugh, while Henry shook his head.

"All I'm saying is perhaps had you  _kissed_ him that night, like actually kissed him—on the lips—not just a small peck on the cheek, then perhaps he may have been saved by your moon magic's protection."

Henry interrupted Richard with a sigh. "That's not how it works, Richard." Henry leaned against the door way. "We've talked about this before. Nowhere has such magic been used to protect others besides the holder themselves or those near her. And as for kisses, you have to kiss them  _after_  the curse has been placed in order to break it. Not before. You're lucky you have a face," Henry added, "Since its definitely not your brains that could attract Jane."

Richard's smirk disappeared as he pretended to punch Henry in the gut. "Fancy yourself so smart, eh? Like playing the little detective with  _Miss Lizzy_?"

Henry glowered and looked away, crossing his arms. He didn't have much else to say.

"Alright, then it's settled. She'll have to kiss him. Properly," Richard said, a cheeky grin returning once more.

Maria turned bright red. She began to stutter, trying to defend herself. "I—I can't just  _kiss_  Robin! The—that is just inappropriate, a—and demonstrates a lack of, of propriety and self-respect!"

David sniggered. There she went again, being all "ladylike". He wondered if Cat would think the same way…. He bit his cheek to stop his smile.

"Really, Maria? You care more about societal rules than the very fact that your beloved birdbrain is out there in the forest, running around without his head? As if he wasn't already an oaf, imagine with his mind wiped clean?" Richard asked, clearly exasperated.

Maria pursed her lips and made a face. "There must be another way! I've always found another way. I didn't break the curse by uniting the families, I broke the curse by—"

"—Jumping off the cliffs," Henry interjected with another heavy sigh. "We know. But Maria, that also broke Althea's binding spell. Seems like magic and spell breaking may have some consequences we don't know of. We don't know what curse has been put on Robin, we don't know how to break it. The last thing we need is a curse-breaker that deals more damage than what we've already got."

Maria looked down to her feet.

"Maria, all I'm saying is, think about it," Richard said, dropping his shoulders and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I may not be smart like Henry, but it's all we've got. And until this genius—" Richard smacked Henry's arm "—offers another solution, it's the best we've got."

Maria nodded her head and heaved a heavy sigh, ignoring the burning feeling at her ears or fluttering at her stomach.

David was beginning to feel bad for Maria. "Come on mates, lay off her." David said to the boys, then turning to Maria, he said, "Look Maria, we know this is hard for you, but we—we just want him back. He's so—so different, almost angrier than before. Seems like he'll never trust us anymore.  
"We know this is a lot, and we don't expect you to run up to him and snog him this instant…. We're just suggesting possible solutions is all. And honestly, I reckon the best way to start is by having you two be together in the same room, without him throwing a fit or threatening your life."

Maria paled. That was a moment she never wanted to live again.

"When you come back, promise us you'll talk to him," David continued. "We just have to work on getting him to believe us. Then afterwards, if that doesn't work… well we can't force you to kiss him, but consider it, please. Just think about it, will you?" David offered his hand to Maria.

Maria thought of what he said. Of course she wanted Robin back too. She mustered a small nod and raised her hand. David took it and shook it with a smile.

"Alright, I—I'll think about it. It is my fault after all… what happened to him." Maria hugged her book closer and bit her lips. Her face twisted, struggling to contain her feelings of remorse. "I should do all I can for him, just as he did for me."

David placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ey now, don't blame yourself. None of us do." David sighed and continued, "It was all Robin's own actions that did him in—"

"But if it weren't for me, he would've never done that!"

"Maria," Henry said calmly, drawing her back in. "Robin cared for you, more so than he could ever admit—"

"—Bloody fool was in love with you—" Richard snorted and crossed his arms.

Henry rolled his eyes at the interruption, "Trust me when I say this, we know Robin. He would've done whatever he could to keep you safe, with or without magic. It's why he ignored you for so long. The idiot thought doing so would keep Charles away."

David snorted, "blasted git, we all underestimated that one."

"That's beside the point. Don't blame yourself, Maria. Let's just all move forwards and do what we can to help." Henry finished.

"Which in your case, would be placing a kiss, on his lips, from Moonacre's fairest princess," Richard added with a wink.

Maria managed a laugh and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. Though she could never remove all the blame off her shoulders, they were right. She needed to do what was best for Robin. She needed to keep her head up and keep fighting. She was not going to repeat the same mistake again. She was going to fight for him every bit of the way.  
And should a kiss be needed… well she would consider it. It was the least she could do for him, after all he'd done.  
"Thank you, boys. I'm so lucky to call you all my friends now. It most definitely has been a bumpy ride."

"And we wouldn't have it any other way," David said with a small smile.

Maria sighed, "I just wish there was a way to make him believe us. That we are telling him the truth, that I—I care about him."  
Her fingers traced the spine of her beloved Moonacre book. Maria then spoke carefully, thinking of her words, "You know what, I do believe you boys are right—"

"—you're going to kiss him? —"

"I, uh, no—no! Not—not yet, at least not—not now, I'm going to try something else. I have an idea! This can't wait, not anymore, I must act quickly! When you boys go in, can you inform my uncle I went out for one last stroll with Wrolf?"

Without waiting for a response, Maria grabbed her book and left, calling Wrolf to follow her. She didn't want them to try and stop her. She left behind a speechless band of bandits and plunderers.

She briskly made her way to the De Noir castle through the forest. Last time, she left without saying goodbye. Last time, they went three years without speaking to one another. She was not making the same mistake again. It was her fault he was in this state, she had to help him. Maria's head whipped to the side as a yell echoed through the forest.  
It sounded like Robin.

She took off running in the direction of the bellow. It was low and gut wrenching. He was in pain. She had to hurry!

Maria came to a clearing and stopped. At the center, was Robin on his knees. His head hung low and his hands fell limply to his side. His jacket, feathered scarf, and bowler hat were nowhere to be found. Maria hugged her book and tentatively stepped closer. She ushered Wrolf back with a gentle pat of her hand. She didn't want to startle the birdboy. She worried for what he might do. Easing her beating heart, Maria took another step.

_Snap._

Maria flinched as she stepped on a twig.

Robin's head sprang up.

His bloodshot eyes glared as they fell on to Wrolf, then Maria, and finally, the string of pearlescent pink pearls around her neck. His face morphed into dreaded recognition. He scrambled back until he hit against a tree.

"You! It was you, wasn't it? You and your damned magic! You brought me here, didn't you?"

Maria's mouth fell open, "Robin, what do you mean?"

Robin shook his head and stood up against the tree, wishing to add as much distance between them as possible. His eyes were pained and fearful, marred with anger. He pointed a bloody hand to Maria.  
"You've cursed me! What have you done to me? Tell me!"

"Robin, stop!" Maria cried out. Her echo bounced through the now silent forest. "I have no idea what you're talking about! But you're hurt, let me help you."

"No!" Robin's hand reach for the hilt of his knife. His sheath was empty. Robin panicked and raised his hands in defense, stopping Maria from coming any closer. He was no match against magic. "You stay away from me, you—you witch!"

Maria blinked, hurt by Robin's words. She took a deep breath and stepped away, solemnly nodding her head and fiddling with her pearl necklace.  
"I—I was going to the castle." Marias eyes were beginning to water. "I wanted to say goodbye, properly. I—I'm leaving today. You—you won't have to worry about me for a while."

The De Noir was breathing heavily. He didn't trust her, believing she was playing another trick on him. He watched her, wary.

"...Where are you going?"

"To finishing school, it's my last year." Maria held out her book. "This—this book means a lot to me. It's—it's the only memory I have left of my father, but I—I think you need it more. It tells the story of Moonacre, of us. Right from the beginning. It's magical and fills itself with new events, please, just take it! I want you to remember us. I know you don't believe me, but we were once friends."

Robin only shook his head, wishing he could just disappear. He didn't want anything from her. His heart tightened. The yearning feeling was coming back, clawing at the pit of his heart. Before he could comprehend what she was doing, Maria ran up to him, and shoved her book into his arms.  
Robin stood there, dumbfounded.

Maria took a few steps back, watching him. There was so much sadness in her eyes.

He didn't understand why.

Then the demon lion walked up to her. Robin recoiled, expecting Wrolf to lunge for him.  
But Wrolf only nudged her hand. Maria bit her lips and nodded to her old lion. She looked up to Robin and gave him a meek wave with her hand.  
"Until next time Robin. I hope by then, you'll remember us." Turning around, she ran back to the manor with Wrolf close behind her.

Robin was left alone once more. He slumped back against the tree and slowly let himself fall to the ground. The desperate feeling in his heart dimming.  
That was twice today.  
What was wrong with him?

He looked down at the book. Fearing it was cursed as well, he juggled it between his hands, and tossed it to the floor in front of him. The book fell open, on to a page of him and that Merryweather girl at the beach. He was carrying her over his shoulder and running through the waves. They were both laughing. He seemed so happy and free.  
Wide eyed, Robin looked towards the direction Maria had disappeared to.

_Witchcraft!_ He kicked the book further away. Hoping its magic did not contaminate him.

Then his headache built up once more. It stemmed from the bottom of his head, growing to his temples, and finally piercing the back of his eyes. His vision doubled, blurring his surroundings into a swirl. Robin dug his hands into his head and groaned.

_Why is this happening?_

Robin slumped to the floor. The pounding force in his head knocked him out cold.

There, Robin laid, unconscious, until his friends found him once more. His loyal gang sighed and scratched their heads, hoping this will all be over soon. Richard and Henry carried him back to his bed, while David took Maria's book and placed it in the corner of his room, with all the rest.


	2. A Worried Discussion and Frustrating Morning

It was a breezy and cloudy day, serving to remind the city of London that fall would soon be approaching. And though the people otherwise appeared preoccupied with going about their business or merrily chatting away, some couldn't help but notice the black weatherworn carriage that reluctantly winded through its busy streets. For despite the many times the Merryweather family had embarked on this journey, there was something different in their demeanor, almost somber. A tension that revealed this trip had been made with much hesitation and after many discussions.  
At the driver's seat, Digweed used one hand to steer the black stallions around the pedestrians on the street, and with the other, he held on fast to his cap, doing his best to keep the gusts from blowing it off his balding head. This caused the old carriage to creak and groan, jostling its passengers within. Inside the carriage, the curtains were fastened shut in an attempt to retain the last bit of warmth that had traveled with them all the way from Moonacre.

Loveday rocked Albert asleep on her lap and bit her lips. Though a small smile played on the corner of her mouth, her worried eyes darted between Maria and Mrs. Heliotrope, observing the discussion. Sir Benjamin appeared distant, reading his newspaper, but his ears too were focused in on the conversation. His eyes occasionally left the grey printed pages to observe the governess and his niece.

"Dear, you must remember to write to us as much as you can—"

"Yes, Mrs. Heliotrope."

"And make sure to be on your best behavior—"

"I always do, Mrs. Heliotrope."

"And please my child, do not go about gallivanting through the streets of London—"

"Mrs. Heliotrope, please—"

"Maria, you must understand how serious I am! There will be no leaving the school grounds, no talking to strangers, no running off into adventures, and absolutely no 'hero-ing' on your part!"

"Mrs. Heliotrope, please, I'm not a child anymore and it's my last year! I'll be alright."

Mrs. Heliotrope sighed and set down her needlework. She threw a quick glance at the covered window before giving Maria a worried frown. "That you can't guarantee. No one can. I know you're capable of caring for yourself to the best of your abilities, but they're limited. We almost lost you. Again! I just simply cannot allow another incident such as that. And besides, you only just turned seventeen, I hardly consider that to mean you're a fully independent adult."

"Oh Mrs. Heliotrope, surely you can't keep me safe forever."

"Well then, you'll have to stand aside and just watch me try! I will hear none of your protests. I promised your mother I would protect you, raise you, and care for you, and that I will! I have already gone ahead to express our utmost concern for your safety. Mrs. Watson has guaranteed she will keep a close eye on you!"

"No, Mrs. Heliotrope, how could you? Mrs. Watson needs no more reasons to feed her already obsessive tendency to nitpick at everything I do!" Maria was feeling indignant at the outcome of events and crossed her arms. "Please tell me you did not reveal everything to her!"

"Maria! Mind your attitude. Mrs. Watson is only doing what she deems best for your development as an accomplished lady and obeying our requests to keep you safe." Mrs. Heliotrope then looked to Loveday and Sir Benjamin for support. Loveday averted her eyes and Sir Benjamin nodded his head.  
"As to the extent of Mrs. Watson's knowledge, we only told her of the generations-long rivalry and Albert's kidnapping. Though I can't assure you her son didn't say much else. And Maria… I know this may seem off-putting, but we will need you to leave your pearls with us."

"What? Absolutely not! What for?"

"To keep both you and those pearls safe."

"But the pearls are much safer with me!"

"No, Maria. It's not about the pearls but about you," Sir Benjamin said finally joining the conversation. "Those damned pearls are the reason your life has been in danger since the very moment you arrived to Moonacre."

"But uncle, I am their guardian! I am supposed to protect them—"

"—But who will protect you?" Sir Benjamin raised his voice, cutting off Maria's defense. "God only knows what will happen if word were to get out about your 'magical' pearls. We don't need others coming after you! And with you so far away from home—from us—just who will defend you?"

Maria stammered, "But—But at Moonacre, they'll be at risk! You all will be in danger! What if Charles and Althea escape and they go searching at the Manor? What if they take Albert again? Or worst, hurt, possibly even kill you all, just to obtain the pearls? Besides, the girls and I got along well without protection for the most part."

"That was before we had a monster or the return of the pearls to deal with!"

"Uncle please, I can't leave them with you all. It's much too dangerous and only I can channel their magic. All it does with anyone else is bring out their vices and grant wishes, at least I can protect all of us!"

"Maria, in London I can almost guarantee that you will be surrounded by worst men than those found in Moonacre—"

"Are you sure, uncle? What about a flying mythical creature with the capacity to control minds and a vendetta against all humans? I doubt there exists a man more terrifying than such a beast."

"Benjamin, she makes a valid point," Loveday interrupted her husband's and niece's bickering. She cradled Albert closer to her chest. "The pearls, they're much safer here. We're all much safer while Maria has them. She's already proved herself a worthy match against Althea, and with more people watching her, she should be safer as well.  
"We've doubted her once too many times before. And every time, despite our objections, she's risen to the occasion. Even you yourself can't argue against Maria's capabilities. More importantly, with our full support she won't have to go about keeping secrets or running behind our backs."

Maria's eyes widened, thinking of her impromptu encounter with Robin that morning in the forest. She looked around and was thankful no one else noticed. Sir Benjamin's eyes were too busy narrowing in Loveday's direction. He was about to retort when Maria jumped in again, she was ready to defend herself.

"Please uncle, just listen. Every day that we fail to remove Althea's magic, is another day they have to plan and retaliate against us. We can't sit back with the hope they'll remain locked up forever. Not while Althea has her magic and Charles' friends remain missing. If they know the pearls are not in Moonacre, and should they escape, it'll give us plenty of time to get the pearls to safety. I could hide them and protect them, protect us!"

Sir Benjamin shook his head. "Maria, you have to understand, your pearls can only do so much. More importantly, you do not yet know how to use them! Keeping them with you will only keep us safer from Charles and Althea for a short time. And as you said, what about any other Charles-sympathizers? People who can band together and come after you? In London, you are alone. Yes, you have your lady friends, but aside from good companionship, I doubt they can do much else. And besides, I wouldn't want to jeopardize their lives as well!"

"What about Robin and his friends?" Mrs. Heliotrope quietly suggested. Loveday eagerly nodded her head, urging her to continue.  
"They spend a lot of time in London, perhaps they can look after Maria while keeping a close ear on the streets. They'll know if others hear about our special, erm, situation."  
Mrs. Heliotrope's stomach then gurgled. All this recent talk of monsters and memories was causing her indigestion to reappear.

Sir Benjamin scoffed and threw himself back into his seat. "Have you all lost your minds? Was I the only one who saw how ready Robin was to attack Maria? I'll be an idiot if I ever let that boy near her again!"

"But that was only because he doesn't remember me," Maria answered. "Also, I—er—saw him, earlier…" Maria paused at seeing Sir Benjamin's face instantly morph into anger. "And he didn't do anything to me. In fact, he seemed more afraid of me than anything else. He was convinced I would curse him." Maria forced a small laugh, a failed attempt to ease the tension.

"You what! You saw him? Without our permission?" Sir Benjamin began to yell at Maria about her recklessness. Claiming that this was further evidence Maria was not responsible enough for her safety.

"Benjamin, settle down! You'll wake Albert up and people will hear you!" Loveday snapped at her husband. "Are you forgetting that they aren't the only boys nearby? William and Sebastian attend school here. We can have them guard Maria as well. I know they wouldn't mind. And since Sebastian is Mrs. Watson's son, I'm sure we can devise an excuse to have them escort the girls on school outings and such."

"No, No! Absolutely not! I will not have Maria surrounded by those young men! We agreed she would only come back to school if she left the pearls with us! I will not have my niece running around London and putting herself in danger or surrounding herself with boys! What will people think?"

"Sir Benjamin! Listen to yourself, this is about Maria's protection, not about your pride or thoughts on potential suitors," Mrs. Heliotrope chastised Sir Benjamin. "Moreover, Mrs. Watson made it clear none of the girls ever leave the school grounds without her direct supervision. She gave me her word that she would send a letter ahead of time to inform us of any events that would take the girls outside of school."

At this, Maria looked away thinking of the many times she had snuck out with her friends. Though Maria didn't like the idea of having Mrs. Watson constantly watch over her, it was the best chance she had at keeping the pearls. Plus, she was sure the girls wouldn't mind the chance to spend more time with the boys.  
"It's settled then, we'll compromise. I'll keep the Moon Pearls. Then, should it be necessary, if I find myself in immediate danger, I will hide the pearls or turn them over to you, Uncle."

Sir Benjamin rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't believe what just happened. He peered out the window and saw they were nearing Maria's school. He had only agreed to let her go back to school because he was confident she would be safer in London. In Moonacre, she was too close to danger. However, now he wasn't so sure. Sir Benjamin shook his head once more and clenched his fist. All he had done lately was argue with Coeur's brother. Sir Benjamin was not about to stand aside and let Charles and that fiend remain in Moonacre for longer. Yet with every day, his problems only seemed to increase. And that's not including their new dilemma with Robin. If there had been any change of mind regarding that boy, well it was all gone. At least Coeur was understanding and agreed to keep Robin close to the Castle and not let him wander near the manor.  
Loveday had tried many times to convince Sir Benjamin that this was not the 'real' Robin and that he was no danger, only lost. But Sir Benjamin was hearing none of that. He regretted letting Loveday take them to the castle for dinner the moment he saw Robin with that dagger pointed towards Maria.  
He had made up his mind then that he was going to try to keep Maria in London for as long as possible. He had even been exchanging his own letters with Mrs. Watson about arranging Maria a teaching position at the school, indefinitely. Loveday didn't know of this plan, he was sure she wouldn't understand. Yes, Maria was still safer in London than in Moonacre.

The carriage came to stop and Maria bounced in her seat. She couldn't wait to see her friends. Hopefully, together they could figure out a way to get Robin's memories back.  
Stepping out of the carriage Maria's heart took a dive. At the school's entrance stood Mrs. Watson. She wore a stern expression and her eyes were directed straight to Maria. Behind her, stood Bast, Cat, and Lizzy. They looked grim and Maria began to doubt her last year would be easy.

* * *

Maria sighed. She took the letter in her hand and plopped herself down onto her bed. Only a month had passed since she'd been back at school, and as promised, she was writing back home every week. Sometimes, when she had time, she even wrote twice a week!  
In her hand, she held the most recent letter from Loveday. It had only arrived that afternoon. As soon as she finished her classes, she immediately went to her room to read it. All the while hoping there would be news about Robin.  
Cat and Lizzy joined her as well. The sisters were sitting together on the empty bed beside Maria's, eagerly awaiting any news from Moonacre.

Though for the most part the letter was filled with great news, there was one particularly short sentence, postscriptedly written, that disappointed Maria.

" _He still doesn't remember."_

It was the last sentence of the letter, squeezed in at the very last minute. Maria was sure Loveday was avoiding any mention of her brother, a sharp contrast from the previous years. Maria guessed Loveday was simply trying to save her from any heartache, but Maria only found it more frustrating. She wished she could just talk to him, to force him to listen to her as she once did.  _Hmm…_ Maria thought.  _Perhaps that was not such a bad idea…._

"How is your family?" Lizzy asked, coming to sit beside Maria on her bed.

"They're—they're good." Maria removed herself from her planning and forced a small smile on her face. "Albert's walking all by himself now. He has Mrs. Heliotrope all wound up in a coil ready to spring! The poor woman. First, she had to chase after me, and now, Albert as well. And here she thought living in the countryside would be dreadfully boring. Aside from Albert's 'rambunctiousness', as Loveday calls it, Mrs. Heliotrope is happy. I am sure even Digweed has also learned a thing or two about managing the chaos of child-rearing."

At this the girls laughed, thinking of the adorable little Albert running around behind Wrolf, and no doubt chased by a frantic governess.

"Marmaduke is as he always is. Popping in and out of the manor and cooking his delicious food. Wrolf continues to sleep throughout the day. Though now with a toddler in the house, he has taken to sleeping in the stables and forest again. Periwinkle is getting old—I'm afraid I may have to retire her from riding soon. And Loveday and my uncle are doing well, somehow managing all the stress!" At this, Maria's smile widened.

"…And Robin?" Lizzy asked.

Maria's smile fell. "Nothing's changed. Or so that's all I can assume from the tiny little postscript she sent." Maria huffed and brought the letter up to Lizzy's face.

Lizzy sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "And that's all she said? Nothing else? It's hard to help him when we can't even see him or know of his progress."  
She walked over to her bed where she produced a packet of loose parchment sheets from underneath her pillow. She sat at her desk and began to scrawl down some notes. "They brought him to the manor to recover, did you know that?" She called over her shoulder. "Sir Benjamin was horrified to think he had let him remain so close to you with his current state."

Maria shook her head and Cat sat down beside her. She placed her head on Maria's shoulder and took her hand.

"Mr. De Noir didn't trust keeping Robin in the same place as Charles or Althea. He was too vulnerable." Cat answered.

"It's unfortunate though. For this to have happened." Lizzy continued. She was still writing in her journal. "And we know so little… Maria, you haven't received any word from either of the De Noir boys?"

"No. I told you everything I know. Althea refuses to name her curse, much less tell us how to break it."

Lizzy sighed again. "Yes, and Robin doesn't believe them."

"Correct. He thinks we're all lying."

"And you gave him your book, right?"

"Yes…I was hoping that by seeing the story, I could prove that what we are saying is the truth."

"Alright. Well I wish we knew if he read it. The boys should at least talk to us. That way we can all work together. We still haven't even figured out how to break Robin's enchantment."

"I've been wondering, what if he's not enchanted?" Cat asked. "I think for it to be an enchantment, there would be a sort of cloud blocking Robin from remembering. But what if it was a permanent change? One that completely erased those memories. There would be nothing for him to find."

"Well that can be a possibility," Lizzy said and Maria's face dropped. That was not something she had ever considered.  
"I'm sorry Maria, but we can't deny it until we know what spell was performed. Don't lose hope though! If there was anything I learned from my books, it is that things are never truly gone. I know those memories must still be there. We just have to go through a list of possible antidotes that can free Robin from the spell."

"Well that's going to be easy," Cat sarcastically said and let her body fall onto the bed.

Maria bit her lips, she wasn't sure if she should mention Richard's idea. She didn't want to deal with more friends pushing her to kiss Robin. What if it didn't even work?

"I know what you should do!" Cat said as she sat up and snapped her fingers. There was a gleam in her eye. "Touch his back!"

Maria scrunched her face, "how's that supposed to help?"

"Yes, Cat's right! It's what you did to the guards, correct? Perhaps, it was a variation of the spell that took over their minds."

"It's just what I was thinking," Cat said proudly of herself. "And if that doesn't work, then just bop him upside the head with a good dose of moon magic!" Cat demonstrated by smacking Maria's pillow.

Maria couldn't help but laugh and hug Cat. "Girls, I appreciate the help, but I doubt that would do it."

"Now Maria, don't be so negative. If there's anything we learned from our stay with you, is that the impossible is possible. And with a little help from your 'moon' magic as Cat calls it, you'll have Robin back and competing with William for your heart in no time!" Lizzy teased.

* * *

Richard stood by Robin's door and knocked on it.

"Robin! It's time to go. Wake up!"

Richard shifted his weight and waited. He stretched up into the air and yawned. It had been a long night for him and the boys, well except for Robin that is. Robin went early to bed leaving the rest of them to stay up late planning the negotiations for today. Richard pressed his forehead to the door and gave it a few more hard knocks.  
Still, there was no sound from Robin.  
"Alright, Robin. If that's how you're going to be, I'm coming in!"

Richard entered the room and groaned. Robin was on his stomach, with his blanket haphazardly wrapped around his body, still fast asleep. He hadn't even stirred.

Richard walked over and smacked Robin's foot to the side, "Oy! Wake up bird boy! It's time to go!"

Robin raised his head and sluggishly turned to look at Richard. "Sod off," he mumbled. Then, noticing Richard's breeches and suspenders, he muttered, "What on earth are you wearing?" But Robin didn't wait for a response. Instead, he let his face fall back onto his pillow, hoping to go back to sleep.

Richard shook his head, "Oh no you don't! We've been covering your arse in this business for too long already. Its time you came out and suffered like the rest of us. This is what we've got to wear when out with the 'gentry' business folks."

Robin groaned. "What are you talking about? I know nothing of trade."

"Whether you believe us or not, there's years' worth of experience shoved into your brain somewhere. If you're too daft find it, well that's your problem."

Robin scrunched his face and covered his head with his arm.

Richard shook his head and muttered something about Robin being an idiot. Though it had been over a month since Robin lost his memories, he still hadn't made any progress. In the beginning, Mr. De Noir wanted to give him space to readjust. He hoped that would improve Robin's behavior and help him recover his memories. Instead, Robin seemed to worsen. Alone with his thoughts and mistrust, he became excessively broody. At first, his friends found his growing melodrama comical but soon grew annoyed with him. Even Mr. De Noir concluded that enough was enough, and Robin had to get back to his duties.  
They began small. First, Robin joined his friends on their hunting expeditions and had to start over his lessons with Mr. Havisham. Though his friends worked hard to make Robin feel at home, he still felt like he didn't belong. He couldn't relate to their stories, some of them he couldn't even believe. Even worst, when Richard would try to explain them to Robin, Robin would just grow frustrated and leave. With Mr. Havisham, Robin felt stupid. There was a nagging feeling in his head that told him he knew all this, but when he was quizzed, Robin couldn't answer the questions and would get angry. Even in his fighting, he lacked the reflexes to keep up with his friends. Robin felt left behind. Like there was a cap on his body preventing him from doing or knowing what he once knew. Robin was starting to wonder if his friends were right. A few times he had even considered reading the Merryweather's book.

Richard sighed and threw open the curtains, letting in the blinding sun that was rising over Moonacre.

"Ey! Why'd you do that for?" Robin growled and covered his head with his pillow.

"If you won't get up, thenI'll be right back with Mr. Havisham. I'm sure he'll be happy to toss a cold bucket of water over your head! You can't recall much but I bet you remember that!"

Robin's eyes opened wide and he scrambled out of bed, almost tripping over the blankets that wrapped around his legs.  
"Alright, alright! I'm up!"

Richard shook his head and was about to step out of Robin's room when he noticed Robin gathering his usual leathers.  
"Erm… mate reckon you shouldn't wear your usual."

"What, why?"

"You'll be the country twit in London."

Robin scoffed, "Oh really? More than you? You're over there looking like a sap! Besides, I don't even own clothes like that!"

Richard raised his brows and smirked. He pointed towards Robin's bottommost drawer, and without another word, he gave Robin a two-finger salute and walked out of the room.

Robin shook his head and stumbled over to his drawer. "Bugger…" He muttered as he pulled open the drawer and eyed the contents. It was filled with neatly folded white buttoned tunics, pressed breaches and slacks, and even a few caps and suspenders.

After changing Robin went out to the courtyard to get his horse.

"Well, would you look at that," Richard teased. "The prince has finally awakened. What a dashing fellow he makes in those breeches, right?" He asked elbowing David.

Robin rolled his eyes. He shoved against Richard's shoulder as he walked by.

"What's your problem?" Richard scowled.

Robin ignored his friends and continued walking out to the stables.


	3. Of Prophecies and Books

The early morning sun found three De Noir boys mounted on their horses. They were waiting for Henry by the castle gates. Richard was towards the end so that he could continue to glower at the back of Robin's head. He still wasn't happy with Robin's irritability earlier.

Henry came running out of the castle. He was adjusting his clothes, tucking in his shirt and fastening his suspenders.

"Where were you?" Richard asked. "Did you sleep in dreaming of Lizzy?" At least he could still joke with Henry without drawing any wrath.

"Dungeons." Henry snorted as he ran past Richard. Robin's ears perked, hoping to catch more, but Henry had long run past them towards the stables.  
After a short wait, he came back out with his black stallion all saddled up.

"Why were you in the Dungeons?" Robin asked.

Henry looked at the other boys before shrugging his shoulders. "Just having a word with Charles. Don't worry about it."

"Besides, not like you'd believe us anyways," Richard muttered. Robin heard his comment. He glared at Richard and kicked his horse forwards, getting ahead of his friends.

David shook his head and smacked Richard's arm. "Why'd you do that for?" He whispered out of earshot.  
Richard waived him off. He was growing tired of Robin. They all were. He was just the only one willing to challenge his attitude.

"Drop it, the lot of you," Henry warned. Despite their growing frustration with Robin, Henry wanted to keep the peace for as long as possible. There were too many problems already, he didn't need his friends fighting as well.  
They were all worried Robin would be weak to another attack from Althea. To prevent this from happening, they decided, along with Mr. De Noir and Mr. Havisham, to keep Robin away from the dungeons at all cost. It wasn't like they were keeping Robin in the dark. They did tell him the full story and would tell Robin of any new information, they just didn't tell Robin that Althea was in the dungeons…. or that every few nights the boys would go down to interrogate her without him. They didn't want to tempt him to go down there alone. Henry, in particular, was worried Althea would gain control of his mind like she did with the guards.

It was a silent ride from the castle. Henry, Richard, and David were tired from their late night, and Robin was once again lost in his thoughts. As they neared the border of Moonacre valley, the sound of a galloping horse coming up from behind interrupted their silence. It was Loveday riding on Primrose.

"Good Morning!" She called out. "I thought I might catch you all here. My father told me you were all heading off to London today with Robin."  
The De Noir gang stalled their horses and waited for Loveday to catch up. She was flushed red and her golden curls flew wildly about her. Robin noticed a few grey strands that weren't there before. She looked tired and he was sure she had just woken up.

"Well, I have a small request…." She continued, "As you all know, Maria's back at school, and we're worried for her. When you're around, could you check up on her, make sure she's alright?"

The boys nodded their heads, but Robin vehemently shook his. "Why should we have to look after her? She's the one with magic after all!"

"Robin, please. She could be the key to your memories! You spending time with her could help recover them!"

Robin shook his head. "What's to say I want them back?" He retorted. This was clearly a lie, and he knew it, but he didn't want to be around the Merryweather girl. He didn't trust her. "No. I already don't want to make this trip, I will definitely not be seeing her!" He grabbed his horse's reigns and continued down the path, not bothering to say goodbye to his sister.

"Don't worry, Loveday," Henry said. "We'll keep an eye out for her."

"Thank you, Henry. Though I'm afraid it's going to be hard with Robin. He's bound to put up a fight."

"'Bout time we gave him the same treatment he first gave us when he befriended Maria," David smirked. "I seem to remember he never gave us much of a choice."

"He's just being a fool," Richard added. "Besides, reckon the girls have missed us. Be good to give them a visit."

"Thank you all, how long will you be in London for?"

"About four days."

"Perfect, that'll be enough time for the letter to arrive. If you can, could you wait until your last day? Just to make sure her headmistress has received my letter."

The gang agreed and said their goodbyes, heading off in the direction Robin had gone to. As they were nearing the brooding heir, it struck Henry he didn't actually know where Maria went to school.

"You lot go ahead, I need to ask Loveday a few questions." Without waiting for a response, Henry turned his horse and galloped back to Loveday.

"Loveday, wait up!" He yelled out. "We don't know how to find Maria. What's her school?"

"Ah yes, that would be important, Porter's Finishing School for Girls."

"Thanks, and erm, what are her friends' last names?"

Loveday raised an eyebrow and her smile grew. "Hmm…such an interesting question, why would you need that for?"

Henry stuttered before finally muttering "It will make finding Maria easier."

"Well alright, it's Jane Williams, and Lisabetta and Catalina Thomas."

"Lisabetta?"

"Oh yes, didn't you know? That's Lizzy's real name!"

* * *

"At the start of tomorrow's class, please turn in your essays regarding the distinguishing traits of the Renaissance period. I expect at least 4 pages of well written prose."

Maria internally groaned. She had completely forgotten about that essay.

"Psst!"

Maria felt a nudge on her shoulder and turned. It was Cat.

"Want to go work in the library together?"

Maria eagerly agreed. At least working with her friends would make the task fun.

"Miss Thomas!" Their teacher snapped. "Would you care to share with us what's more important than Leonardo da Vinci?"

Cat sat back in her seat and flashed an innocent smile. "I'm flattered Miss Johnson, but I was simply asking Maria if she wanted to join me in the library to finish our papers."

Ms. Johnson narrowed her eyes. "Well I hope you didn't postpone your writing for tonight."

"No, never!" Cat said aghast. There was no mistaking the lie in her eyes.

Maria and Lizzy quieted their laughter as their teacher turned back to the chalk board and continued their lesson on the Renaissance man.

At the end of class, Cat wrapped an arm around Maria's and another around Lizzy's.  
"Onwards to the library, my ladies!" Cat declared with a skip in her step.

"Actually, I finished my essay already…" Lizzy said.

"What a surprise," Cat responded playfully.

"Yes, so I'm going to head back to our room instead."

"Really? Lizzy avoiding an unnecessary trip to the library?" Maria asked. "What could possibly be drawing Lizzy away from the true love of her life?"

Cat snorted and Lizzy's eyes widened, darting around as she sought for an excuse. Her hands fiddled together and toyed with her bag's clip.  
"You see, I will be working on astronomy homework and I wouldn't want to distract you girls. And I think I will be more productive if I study by myself, and I'm sure you girls can get along well without me—"

"But you always help us with our assignments," Cat whined.

Lizzy frowned. "I'm sorry Cat, not today. I'll see you girls later!" Lizzy untwined her arm from her sister's and hurried down the main hall that led to their dormitories.

Cat looked crestfallen and twisted her lips. She leaned her head against Maria's and sighed, wondering how she would finish her homework without Lizzy's help.

"Cat don't be so melodramatic. You have me after all," Maria urged nudging her shoulder.

Cat laughed and nudged her back. Together the girls hurried to the library, racing to see who got there first. Of course, they did so in the most lady-like fashion, especially when passing their teachers. The girls would tactfully slow down just in time and walk by with a casual grace. Once they were out of eyesight though, they would erupt into giggles and continue racing to the library. Yes, these girls were young ladies, but that didn't stop them from making the most fun at school.

Back in her room, Lizzy locked the door behind her. She sat on her desk and pulled from her bag a brown envelope with trembling hands. At the center was a black wax seal, decorated with a lion's emblem. On the other side, was her name misspelled,  _"Lisabeta Thomas",_ and her school's address. Lizzy's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open when she saw who the letter was from.

She couldn't help the squeal that escaped her.

...oOo...

Their morning quickly passed into the afternoon, and Maria and Cat were on their third draft. Well, Maria was. Cat was on her fifth. She kept misspelling the Italian words and having to start over.

"Cat, really? You speak a Latin language, I would think you more than anyone would have no problem spelling these words out."

Cat puckered her lips. "My dear intelligent, beautiful Maria, it is for that very reason I misspell the words. My inclination is to spell it as  _my_ Latin language, Spanish, would, not in the  _Italian_  way. They're very similar yet different enough to confuse even the smartest of scholars," Cat responded haughtily and with a wink.

"Oh please, do continue to enlighten me," Maria responded sarcastically.

"Ahem." Their taunting was interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat behind them.

"Ugh, Charlotte what do you want?" Cat asked. "Don't you have other girls to pester?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "As much as I would love to seek better company, I'm currently acting as an assistant to Mrs. Watson—"

"Oh great, what are you going to rat on us this time?"

"I promise you I haven't received any more fairytales," Maria added. This was true, her mysterious benefactor had stopped sending her books. She had a feeling it was her uncle and probably got too busy with business at home.

Charlotte stuck up her nose in the air and continued unfazed, "I'm not here to investigate how you girls are wasting your time. I'm here because Mrs. Watson asked to speak with you two. Lisabetta is already in her office."

Maria and Cat looked to one another and quickly rushed from their seats. They gathered their belongings and headed out the door leaving Charlotte behind.

"What could she want?" Maria asked.

Cat shrugged her shoulders, "Dunno, maybe she wants to pry more formation from us?"

Maria shuddered and thought of her first day back at school when she found Mrs. Watson and her friends waiting for her. Mrs. Watson had immediately ushered them all into her office where Maria and her family, along with her friends, had to squeeze in and deal with an angry headmistress.  
She first proceeded to scold the girls for dressing as men and running off to be 'heroes'. She made sure to emphasize that Maria must have been the leader and it was Sir Benjamin's fault for allowing her to read those novels and fairytales. Mrs. Watson strongly believed those books put false notions into the reader's mind and should be forbidden from any sensible library.  
Then she chastised Sir Benjamin and Mrs. Heliotrope. Reprimanding them for failing to properly guard the family, and in Mrs. Heliotrope's case, her student. She went on to declare she expected better from such proper members of society. She also told them of what she learned from Bast (who thankfully avoided any mention of the Moon Pearls or Althea). Though she agreed to do her best and keep Maria safe, it was only on the condition that Maria behaved exceptionally well. Any false step or rule-breaking would result in her immediate expulsion.  
After that, like dogs with tails between their legs, the girls were shepherded to their rooms, Bast back to his school, and her family back to Moonacre. It was a rather quick and humiliating goodbye.

Arriving at Mrs. Watson's office they found Lizzy waiting for them, and to their surprise, Bast.

Mrs. Watson peered at the friends from above her gold-rimmed glasses. "Sit," she commanded, her French accent stringing her 't' along. "Maria, did you know of this?"  
Mrs. Watson slid a letter towards her. It had her uncle's stamp.

Maria picked it up and her heart warmed. It was from Loveday, she wanted permission for the De Noir gang to visit her.  
"No, Mrs. Watson. I wasn't warned," Maria said, handing back the letter.

Mrs. Watson scowled and pushed up her glasses. "Well please inform your aunt that I am already doing more than enough for you. Next time, I require a week's notice at the very least! You may go, along with your friends, but take Sebastian as your escort. I won't have my girls running around London unaccompanied."

The girls squealed with an excitement that was cut short. "And be warned," Mrs. Watson interjected, "This does not excuse you from your assignments! I expect you all to have them done on time. And should I hear a complaint from your teachers, you can rest assured I will never allow this again."

The girls nodded as they excused themselves. They rushed to their rooms to grab their coats, purses, and parasols, leaving Bast to wait for them by the entrance hall. Neither of the girls bothered changing, they had permission from Mrs. Watson after all to venture outside. Coming back downstairs, Bast held open the door 'like a true gentlemen' as Cat gushed.

"Bast," Maria said. "We didn't get a chance to talk much after last time, but why didn't you tell your mother about the pearls or Althea?"

Bast quickly eyed the necklace around Maria's neck before returning a freckled smiled, "last I heard, she punished you for reading a fairytale. I didn't want to risk another punishment."

"Thank you, Bast. You are a great friend," Maria said.

"It was nothing. Come on gals, let's take a quick detour. I'm sure the De Noir boys won't mind the wait."

Bast offered his arm to Cat and they walked down a few blocks. They reached the end of the street, where Bast stopped to look around. He looked confused.

Suddenly, Maria felt a pair of hands come over her eyes.

"Guess who?" He teased.

"William, you rascal!" Maria scolded. She pulled his hands away from her face and turned to give him a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"Much better to see you. I was worried Robin would do something while I was gone." William gently took Maria's face and inspected it. "Looking as beautiful as ever!" He added with a wink.

Maria couldn't help the blush on her cheeks and tried to push the thought away. She promised William that Robin was no threat to her, though William didn't believe her.

...oOo...

"Why are we here again?" Robin asked. He was leaning against a tree, picking at some loose strings from his shirt. They were in Hyde Park and his friends sat on the bench beside him.

"Waiting for some business," Henry shortly replied.

Richard yawned and stretched, dropping his arm to rest on the back of the bench. David rested his head on his hand, he was dozing off. The past three days had been spent arguing with merchants. Now that Althea was locked behind bars, trade began to flourish once more, and Mr. De Noir was fighting hard to gain new clients.

"But why at a park? Have we always met clients at the park? Seems a bit casual," Robin asked again.

"This is a different sort of business. You'll see."

"Alright, I'm going to take a short walk then."

"London's changed much since you last remember. Don't get lost!" Richard shouted at him.

Robin stared at him in a deadpan manner before leaving his friends. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was actually enjoying his trip to London. It was a break from the memory fiasco he had to deal with back home. In London, he could pretend everything was normal and simply a new experience.

As he was walking down the main path, he caught sight of a group of friends coming down a smaller deviant path. At the front of the group was a young lady in a long-sleeved blue gown and curly red hair that fell beneath her shoulders. A lacy parasol hid her face. Despite the plain and restrictive gown, she carried herself with a light and petit grace, almost like how a forest fairy would. Robin's heart began to feel light, but he frowned when he noticed her arm entwined with another young man's. She was laughing, probably at some joke from one of her friends. Along with the boy at her arm, she was accompanied by two other girls, also wearing similar dresses, and another young man. Now that he thought of it, they looked like a group of students. Her laugh chimed again, and Robin found himself leaning against a tree enjoying the sound of it. It was like the sound Spring bells and warmed his heart. It was a feeling he normally got from being in the forest. A feeling he hadn't felt since losing his memories.  
The girl and her friends walked out the canopy's shade and a flash of pearlescent pink caught his eyes. Robin squinted and noticed a delicate string of perfectly round pearls around the girl's neck. She turned, and the parasol lifted, revealing her face. It was Maria. That's when he realized it was William at her arm. For an unknown reason, that infuriated him even more. Robin felt as though he had just been punched in the gut. She had yet to notice him and he slunk back into the shadows of the trees. He slammed a fist against a trunk and stormed back to confront his friends.

"You're meeting her here, aren't you?" He demanded to know. Robin was pacing in front of his gang. If it weren't for how angry he was, his friends would've found it funny. They were sure he had even muttered 'mutiny' under his breath.

"Yeah, so what of it?" Richard challenged.

"I said I didn't want to see her!"

"Tough luck Robin, she's our friend too and we want to make sure she's doing alright," David added.

"Look, Robin, there's no need to get your knickers in a twist. It's just for a short while." Henry tried to appease him.

Robin growled and he marched away. Just because his friends wanted to see her, didn't mean he had to.

"Well, would you look at that! The De Noir gang outside of their leathers!" Cat teasingly shouted her greeting.

David was the first to stand, immediately jolting awake at the sound of Cat's voice.

"Where's Jane?" Richard asked.

"She finished last year, didn't you know? She's gone back home."

Richard shook his head and sat back down, looking glum. He mockingly wondered if he should join Robin and have a brooding competition with him.

"How's Robin doing?" Maria asked.

"You should ask him," Henry responded.

"He's here?"

David nodded his head and pointed in the direction Robin had left to. Maria hitched up her skirts and ran off to find him. She dodged families and couples until she found herself walking towards a dense area of trees. It was darker and devoid of any visitors. Ahead of her, she spotted her target. He sat against a tree, and from the looks of it, was angrily muttering under his breath. His normal mess of curls were combed back. Though after running his hands through it multiple times, a few curls were beginning to fall loosely on his face. The lack of charcoal around in his eyes brought out the emptiness inside.

"Robin, why did you leave?"

At the sound of her voice, Robin jumped to his feet. His face tensed and he barred his teeth. Robin turned and walked away without an answer.

"Robin! Please wait! Why are you avoiding us?" By now they were in the thick of the trees.

Robin turned on her, he lashed out. "Why do you think, Merryweather?" He yelled. "Do you think I can just stand around like a fool? Laughing at stories I don't remember with people I'm supposed to know?"

Maria stopped dead in her tracks. "But we're your friends, all of us."

Robin snorted and crossed his hands. "Am I supposed to believe you? When every time I see you, I think of how my father thought I was a failure for not being able to capture you? Every time I turn to look at you I see how much you've grown and it frustrates me because its proof that there's something I don't remember! Every time I see you and those bloody pearls, you and your magic are what started this all, it's all your fault!"

Maria ran forwards and covered Robin's mouth. "Shhh! Don't you dare say anything more about these pearls, it could be dangerous!"

Robin shoved her hands away shouting "Get away from me!" Robin then quickly scaled up the tree and sat down. There, he was sure she couldn't follow.

"Robin please, how am I supposed to help you when you won't even talk to me? It's been over a month, have you even read my book?"

Robin tossed Maria a quick glance and huffed a short, "No."

"What, why not?"

"Because you'll bewitch me!" He spat back. "You and that bloody book are cursed. I want nothing to do with either of you!"

"Robin De Noir! You are acting like a child! You are about to be twenty-one years old, isn't this behavior beneath you? Your father no longer thinks those thoughts of you, and how can we prove ourselves to you if you won't give me—all of us a chance?

"Merryweather, how am I supposed to act when the last thing I remember, I was seventeen! I was chasing you because I needed to kill you! Besides, who are you to scold me about age? You're younger than me!"

"Are you even listening to me? Are we really playing that game again?" Maria crossed her arms.

"What game?" He was exasperated she wouldn't leave.

"The one where you call me a child and act all high and mighty! You did that three years ago! It's a bit old don't you think?"

"I don't know, you tell me! Do I need to remind you I don't REMEMBER? And what of it? It's the truth, you are younger than me. Or do you want me to say that you're some beautiful lady all grown up now? Am I supposed to bow at your feet and woo you? Like every other gentleman out there?"

"That is not at all what I meant!" Maria huffed with indignation. She was finding it hard to remain patient. "Besides if you really feel seventeen, then that makes us the same age you—you, ugh!" Maria paused and forced herself to take in a few deep breaths. She rubbed her temple and spoke once more, willing her voice to be calm. "Robin, I want to help you. I want my friend back."

Robin sputtered, failing to come up with a retort. When he couldn't, he resorted to crossing his arms and looking away. He shouted over his shoulder, "Why do you want him back? You don't need him, I don't need you! You have William there to keep you company."

"What does he have to do with anything? You're not listening to a single thing I'm saying! I just want my friend back and if you would read my book you would see why!"

"Oh, don't tell me, you were in love with me, weren't you?"

Maria froze. Then the realization of his words struck, and that was it. Maria's temper ignited with a passionate flame. Her normally pale face was now tinged with a furious red. It wasn't hard for Robin to see the change of color and he chuckled, satisfied that now he wasn't the only angry one.

"You're so rude, and arrogant, and—and egotistical! To throw such statements around with such a callous disregard! What makes you think I ever loved you!"

"Well, why else would you be so bent on bringing back 'gold 'ole robin'?" Robin continued his taunt. "I can tell you for a fact I don't want him back, I'm perfectly happy where I am?"

"Oh really? Is that why you're so moody? And so—so capricious? You bring heartbroken fools to shame! And besides, if you don't believe me, you almost kissed me that night! Look in the book and you'll see it!" Maria's words slipped from her mouth, but at that moment, her embarrassment was no match against her wounded pride and flaming temper. She would never admit how much time she'd spent looking at that page.

"Pfffft," Robin chortled, "Me, kiss you? Never!"

"Ugh," Maria looked around for any branches and sticks she could find. She was out of luck. "Never mind then, do what you want! Run around without your head, see if I care! You will never get a kiss from me anyways!"

"Good, I never wanted one"

"Good!" With her fists clenched at her sides, Maria stomped away from Robin. She was sure she never wanted to see him again.

Meanwhile, with Maria's friends, Richard mused "Do you think she'll kiss him?"

The girls wrinkled their brow, bewildered by Richard's statement. William and Bast looked taken-aback.  
"And why would she do that for?" William asked.

"True loves' first kiss," David responded. "She didn't tell you our plan, did she?"

But Maria's friends only became more confused as they shook their heads.

Richard sighed, "I think the curse can be broken by true loves' first kiss. It's how most curses get cured in stories, so I figured what's so different now? —"

"Except Maria doesn't want to," David added.

"And more importantly, we don't know if it'll work, or if it'll have any complications." Henry finished. Lizzy looked at Henry, curious about the implications of his statement.

Cat squealed. She hopped up and down on her toes, tugging at David's arm whose face was growing warm with each pull.

"Oooh, yes! Her first kiss to break a curse! How romantic!" Cat gushed.

"No! Maria can't just kiss him. Besides, who says he's her true love?" William was unhappy with the turn of events.

Richard placed an arm on William's shoulder. "Hate to break it to you mate, but Robin and Maria are meant to be. Once they marry, they will truly unite the two families, begin the final end to their stupid family feud, and be happily-ever-after."

"Aw don't look so gloomy William, you can't win every battle," Bast joined Richard in his teasing.

"Until I see a prophecy where that is foretold, I refuse to believe it!" William then turned and headed straight into the trees, looking to stop Maria's kiss. But he didn't have to get far. Before he could reach the edge of the woods, Maria came storming out.

"He's such a—a dolt, incorrigible, and a birdbrain, an idiot and—and oh there are just not enough proper words to describe his horribleness!"

"Guess that means there was no kiss?" Richard jested.

Maria sent him her deadliest glare, causing Richard to shrink back.  
"No, there most definitely was no kiss! And at this rate, will never be! He can stay in the dark, he clearly doesn't want my help! Let's go, the sun's about to set."  
Maria grabbed her friends' hand and dragged the girls behind her. She didn't let them say goodbye.

"Wait! Maria, where's Robin, he doesn't know his way around London!" Henry shouted after the girls.

"That birdboy's hidden himself up a tree like some child!" Maria yelled back.

William and Bast quickly hurried after the girls to escort them back to school. No one missed the satisfied look on William's face.

...oOo...

It was well past curfew when Lizzy stirred in her bed. She stepped out from beneath the covers, careful not to wake the other girls up. She pulled her satchel from under her bed and stashed her sheets of notes inside. Lizzy then used the feint moonlight to find an old bag of clothes. She took off her nightdress and slid on her tunic and breeches. The same ones she had used in their search for Albert. She pulled on some knee-high socks and her riding boots. Though the riding boots were rather effeminate for the rest of her outfit, she hoped no one would notice. Lastly, she tucked her hair into a tight bun beneath the dusty cap and put on Sir Benjamin's old green riding coat.

When she finished getting dressed, Lizzy stuffed her bed to make it look like she was still sleeping.

Under a dark and moonless night, Lizzy stealthily snuck out of school through the hole in the back gate. Once she was out on the streets, she raised the collar of her coat to further mask herself. It was fairly cold, and Lizzy questioned herself. It was dangerous to be out this late, and if she were to get caught, she would be in a great amount of trouble. But her instinct pushed her forwards, through the empty cobbled streets. She was reduced to skirting in the dark, occasionally seeking refuge under the few lighted street lamps. After traveling down a few blocks, Lizzy pulled out her letter and traced the hastily drawn map until she came to a tavern.

There were drunks out in the street. Some were sprawled on the ground, others were busy harassing any pedestrians out this late at night. Lizzy gulped. She was in over her head. This was not an activity she ever envisioned herself in.  
Lizzy stomached her pride, and any sense of propriety, and reminded herself that for that night she was no longer Lisabetta Thomas. She stepped up to the tavern door that swung open before she could reach for it. Lizzy jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding getting struck by the door. A burly old man with a missing eye stepped out. He noticed the trembling girl and approached Lizzy. His single eye traced her up and down, "Yer a lanky one. Whatchu doing here?" His question slurred, and the stench of rum burned Lizzy's nose.

"Business," She squeaked.

The man's eyebrows crumpled and he took another step to inspect her. "Whats yer name?"

Lizzy cleared her throat and in the lowest voice she could possibly muster, answered "Leo."

The man grunted and turned away. Lizzy hurriedly went to open the door, she didn't want any more attention. But despite her prayers, the door groaned open, announcing to the patrons of her arrival. Lizzy paled as all the crooked eyes turned to her. It was late after all, and anyone who was still in the tavern was looking for some action, preferably a fight, and eagerly eyed the newcomer. Lizzy pulled down her cap, and like a frightened turtle, sunk further into the shelter of her upraised collar. From beneath the brim of her cap, she eyed the attendants.

Right across from her, at the other end near the bar, Henry stood up. He was shocked, but he waved her over. Lizzy hurriedly walked to him, avoiding the seedy stares and people. Henry tentatively placed an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, as though wishing to shield her from the customers. It was the closest she had ever dared be near him.

"I'm sorry for being late," Lizzy said breathlessly, she was thankful her cap hid her burning ears.

"Not at all, I'm surprised you even came," he whispered.

"Me too," Lizzy quietly giggled. "I was ready to turn back as soon as I saw the drunks outside."

"Don't mind them, they're often too drunk to do any harm. It's the conscious ones inside you should worry about." Henry led her to the far back corner of the tavern. A single lantern lit the table, and there were two steaming mugs waiting for them. Henry pulled out a chair for her and they sat together.

"I ordered us some coffee, I reckoned we may need some."

Lizzy thanked him with a soft smile. She was surprised by his thoughtfulness.

"Thank you, for coming. I know this place is dodgy, and a lady like yourself shouldn't be here, but there's nowhere else that's open this late and—"

"It's alright," Lizzy said placing a hand on his arm. "We've got work to do and this is the best we've got." Lizzy quickly retracted her arm and sat up straight. "Did you manage to find Robin?"

"Yes, he was still up in the tree."

"Good, I'm sorry we had to leave so abruptly."

Henry waved his hand in the air, "No, we understand. Frankly, I'm surprised Maria's managed to be patient this long."

"True, we shall remain impressed so long as it's not another three-year wait."

"Yes, let's hope not," Henry laughed. His eyes met Lizzy's and they fell into an awkward silence.

Henry cleared his throat, "So, Robin, that's actually why I asked you to meet me here."

"Yes of course! But I was wondering, why so secretive? Wouldn't you want Maria and Cat here as well?"

Henry looked startled by the question. His fingers tapped the table as he looked around, thinking of his excuse. "Erm so yeah, I thought of that, but you see—so Loveday and Sir Benjamin they're worried for her you know."  
Lizzy nodded her head, listening attentively to Henry, which only made his heart flutter more and his words stumble around. "I figured it would be best for Maria to stay in school where it's safer. Not have her run around in the streets at night you know—not that I want to put you in danger! No, definitely not—but I feel that we work best together, and I don't want us to be distracted… but if you want them here that's definitely alright with me! You can bring them next time and I'll make sure to get a bigger table—I could even have David and Richard here to help, doubt Robin would join but it's worth a shot—"

Lizzy laughed "Henry its alright, really I understand. Don't worry, we'll keep this between us until we make a breakthrough, deal?" Lizzy offered her hand and Henry shook it.

"Great, let us share notes!" She rummaged through her back and began to pull out her parchments. One of the sheets snagged in the corner and the papers slipped from her hand, fluttering onto the floor.  
"Oh no," Lizzy felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and a bemused smile crossed Henry's normally serious face. He quickly bent down and helped her collect her sheets.  
"I'm so sorry. I'm not normally this disorganized, but I've had to take them on the go."

"Its ok, are they numbered?"

"…No," Lizzy winced. She was sure Henry would think she was stupid.

But Henry just laughed, that thought never crossing his mind. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out together." He took her papers and shuffled through them. "Ahh, so it's a double 't'?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your name, I didn't know how to spell it. I didn't know it was your real name, I always thought it was Elizabeth."

"Ah no, though you wouldn't be the first! My mother wanted us to have Spanish names to keep our heritage close to our hearts. She was afraid we'd become too 'British' like my father, though that didn't stop her from marrying—oh I'm prattling, I'm so sorry!" Lizzy covered her face with her papers and groaned.

"And here I thought Cat was the only sister who rambled," Henry jibed. He watched her carefully, worried he had insulted her.

"Well I'll be, Henry can joke! And here I thought you were too austere and dare I say, 'British', to even recognize one," Lizzy returned with a laugh.

The tension began to ease through the night as the two worked together. Lizzy reading through her notes and Henry numbering and ordering them for her.


	4. The Chase and Escape

A puff of frosty air escaped from Maria as she shivered and curled into a ball. Her hand sleepily reached around her, looking to pull her blankets over her head. She couldn't feel them. Maria groaned and forced herself up, groggily rubbing her eyes. She brushed away her curls from her face and scowled. Her blankets were on the floor, a few feet away from her bed. Maria cocked her head.  _Strange…._ She muttered to herself. On occasion, her restless dreams did cause her to push her blankets off her, but she had never before thrown them. Across from her, Lizzy and Cat were snuggled together on Lizzy's bed. Maria smiled. Cat must've been cold too.

Maria braced herself, taking a large breath of courage, she stepped down from her bed. She gasped and curled her toes, trying to reduce her foot's contact with the cold wooden floor. Maria then skipped across and snatched her blankets. She turned to retrace her steps but froze.

Staring at her from her window were a pair of red slitted eyes, embodied by a smoky shadow. The eyes sneered, she felt the warmth of her pearls sucked right out of them. They became cold to the touch and burnt her skin.

Maria backed away and hit against a soft feathered body. Althea was right behind her. She yelped and jumped back. Her talons dripped with fresh blood and she clicked her beak, bringing it down to Maria's level. Althea readied her hand to lash through Maria, but before her she could strike, Maria woke up.

Maria sat up on her bed panting.  _Was that a dream?  
_ She was in her cold dark dorm. Althea was nowhere in sight, but her blankets were on the floor, as they had been in her dream. The window by her bed was wide open too, letting in the icy November air.

Maria jumped out of bed and hurried to the sisters. "Lizzy! Cat! Wake up!"

The girls stirred. Cat sat up and stared at Maria with tired eyes. "Maria, what's wrong?" She croaked.

"I dreamt Althea was right here! When I woke up, the window was wide open. Look!"

Lizzy yawned and propped herself on an arm, warily eyeing the open window. "Perhaps we didn't close it last night?"

"Impossible! I know I closed it. It's been too cold to leave it open!"

"Maybe it was a nightmare?" Cat suggested.

Maria shook her head, "I don't know. But I have a horrible feeling, as though we're being watched." Maria finished recounting the rest of her dream to the girls, all the while shivering from the cold.

Lizzy frowned. She slipped out of bed to retrieve Maria's blankets and tossed them over to Maria's bed. Then she shut the window. She made sure to bolt it and threw the curtains over it. Lizzy walked back to her bed, crawled in, scooted closer to Cat, and raised her blankets, beckoning Maria to join them.

Maria jumped in without a second thought.

"Let's go back to sleep, there's no point in worrying now. Get some rest and we'll talk about it in the morning, you have a busy day ahead," Lizzy urged with a tired yawn.

…oOo…

The following morning, Lizzy woke up wrapped tightly in the arms of both Cat and Maria on either side. She smiled. It had been a very cold night indeed. She slid out of her friends' warmth and felt the hairs on her arms raise from the cold. She quickly put on her robe and stretched into the air. She turned on the iron furnace at the center of the room and frowned. The window by Maria's bed was open and the curtains were thrown wide open. Then she remembered last night's events. Maria's blankets were still on her bed, but she was certain she had closed the window as well…

Lizzy peered out the window, hoping to spot signs of an intruder, but the windowsill and its surroundings were undisturbed. All she saw were the school grounds and foggy city streets ahead. Lizzy scowled and shut the window a little too roughly before making her way to her desk. There she pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and ink, working quickly to write down all that she remembered. Then she took out another sheet to write Henry a letter. So focused was she in her writing, that she failed to notice Cat waking up.

"What are you doing?" Cat asked peeking over Lizzy's shoulder. Lizzy jumped and quickly hid her letter.

"N-nothing! Just jotting down last night's events."

Cat frowned, "What happened last night?"

"Don't you remember? Maria dreamt Althea broke into our room. When she woke up she found her blankets on the floor and window thrown wide open."

Cat slowly nodded her head.

Lizzy lowered her voice to a whisper, hoping she was out of Maria's earshot. "Well, this morning I found the window open, again. I know for a fact I closed it last night!"

Cat's eyes grew wide. "But we're safe here, aren't we? Althea can't find us here, right?"

"I don't know. So long she remains locked away, we should be safe."

Cat crawled over to Maria and gently shook her awake. "Maria, do you remember what happened last night?"

Maria yawned and mumbled something about needing more sleep. She sat up and the girls stifled their laughter with their hands. Maria's curls stuck out at odd ends around her face, a wild mane that almost rivaled Wrolf's. Maria rubbed her eyes and slowly shook her head in answer to Cat's question. She was still struggling to remember her dreams after waking.

Lizzy looked to Cat who nodded encouragingly. "I found the window open again this morning."

Maria's memories jolted through her, forcing her to recall her dream. Maria's eyes darted to her bed and the now-closed window. She sighed with relief and fell back down to her pillow. "Yes, I remember now," Maria mumbled. "But I have no idea what it means. What time is it?"

"Nearly seven."

Maria sat right back up, she had her meeting with Mrs. Watson at eight! "I have to get ready," she cried crawling out of bed and rushing to her wardrobe.

Maria knocked on Mrs. Watson's door. It was still early, but she didn't want to be late and irritate her headmistress.

"You may enter!" She heard from the other side.

Maria opened the door and stepped inside. Mrs. Watson was reading some papers and absentmindedly ushered Maria to take a seat in front of her desk.

"Thank you for being early. Today you will begin your training so that at the start of next year after the holidays you may take your place by Ms. Charlotte as my assistant."

Maria nodded her head and began to write down her many tasks and obligations into her notebook. She still wasn't sure why she was offered this position. Perhaps her headmistress was simply trying to find more ways to keep a close eye on her.

…oOo….

As the days grew shorter, their nights grew colder and Maria found herself busier than ever. She was in charge of collecting and grading the assignments for the second year French students as well as providing tutoring services after their class. She also had to assist Mrs. Watson with her lesson planning for the first years' classes. At times, she even had to teach the lesson for the day if Mrs. Watson was too busy. She found herself spending less and less time with her friends, barely managing to see them except for the early morning or late night.

Lizzy too appeared to be busier than usual. She and Cat had been assigned some first years to watch over as Jane had done with them. Though it was supposed to be a shared task, Cat found herself taking up more of the responsibilities. Lizzy of lately seemed distracted and forgetful. A few nights, Cat even woke up to find her sister missing from bed, probably studying in the library she guessed. Cat was sure that if it weren't for the first years' company, she would be especially lonely. She was always the first to return to their room and had to wait hours before Maria or Lizzy came back. Even then, by the time her sister and friend returned, they were often too tired to talk. Cat was left no choice but to find other forms of entertainment. With their upcoming winter holiday trip to visit Jane, Cat decided to write to her. Soon they were off planning activities for their trip and Cat couldn't wait to tell Maria and Lizzy all about them.

* * *

Robin was pacing in his room. He was dressed in his city clothes, waiting for his friends to come get him. They had been secretive the night before. Robin caught whispers from them, they seemed to be making plans to meet someone. They were probably trying to plot another way to get him to see Maria. Weeks had passed since their fight at the park, Robin's eyes glanced to the pile of books. The cursed book was at the very top. Robin glowered. When his friends found him on top of the tree after his fight, Richard fell to the floor laughing. He couldn't believe the great Robin De Noir was afraid of Maria.

Though Robin had been humiliated then, he would be ready this time. Should he run into her again, he would not run away. He would show them he was still Robin De Noir, heir to the De Noir castle and leader of the De Noir Gang. Besides, from the looks of it, it seemed Maria wasn't up to casting her magic on him… or perhaps, she had no control over it. Robin smirked, he had no reason to be afraid of her.

"Robin, you ready?" David called through the door, startling him.

"Coming!" Robin walked past the stack of dusty books. At the top was the Merryweather book. He was about to grab it, but he shook his head and instead grabbed the wrapped book with the blotted address. He was determined to get some information on this trip.

...oOo...

"How late will you lot be up for?" Robin asked his friends. It was their first night back in London. The boys were picking up new merchandise to take back to Moonacre.

"I'll be knocking out pretty soon. Why, heading out for the night? Saw the new tavern girl's downstairs, quite the catch if you ask me." Richard commented with a glint in his eyes.

"I'm surprised you're not downstairs bothering them," David remarked.

Richard shook his head and jumped onto his bed. "Too tired tonight."

"Can I take the key then? If no one will be using it?"

"Actually, I'm going out too," Henry said.

"Where too?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be around. May take a walk—don't feel like sleeping."

Though it was a rather vague answer, Robin figured he has his own reasons and decided to give Henry the key.

After receiving directions from the innkeeper, Robin stepped out into the cold and dimly lit streets in search of his destination. A swift gust of wind tried to knock his hat. Robin smacked it back down on his head and coiled his feathered scarf tighter around his neck. He was glad he had changed into his usual outfit, though he could use some leather gloves as well. The cold was numbing his fingers. Robin stuffed his hands into his pockets and trekked onwards. He didn't run into many people that night, the weather had long ago ushered everyone inside, seeking the warmth of their hearth. Once, he did come across a young man in a green coat that for a brief second seemed familiar. When they made eye contact, the young man rushed away, hiding into his collar. Robin just shrugged his shoulders, maybe it was someone from his past, or a boy on the run. Either way, it wasn't his business to meddle with. He had somewhere else to be.  
As he checked the directions one more time, Robin arrived at his destination. It was a towering school with an intimidating black fence. Centered, with a pathway leading to the main doors, was a large gate decorated with silver letters that read, "Porter's Finishing School for Girls." Robin felt his blood leave his face. It was the finishing school the Merryweather girl was going to! Robin kicked the ground and left back to the tavern. The heat of his temper won against the cold breeze as he dashed back to his room.

Richard and David were talking when Robin barged in. "What's this?" He asked showing them the packaged book.

"A book I reckon?" David said with a shrug.

"No, I mean why is there a school's address on this? Not just any school, Maria's."

"Well I'll be damned, he used her name." Richard sarcastically clapped his hands and rolled his eyes as fell back on to his back. He didn't bother to respond much else to Robin, he wasn't in the mood for fighting.

David let out a sigh. He had to admit, he was shocked Richard wasn't taking the bait, David noticed he had been more sullen lately, probably missing Jane he figured. "Ignore him, Robin. On our travels, you'd pick out books and send them to her."

"Then why isn't my name on this, does she know they're from me?"

David shook his head. "No mate, you two were arguing. You wouldn't put your name on it. You would send them to her an—aninomo—annamolous—"

"—anonymously," Richard assisted.

"What, why?"

"Because you loved and missed her, but we're too much of a cowardly idiot to do anything about it." Richard retorted. "Now let us sleep, our daily tolerance for your broodiness has been exceeded."

Robin growled and tossed the book to his bed before leaving back out. He couldn't believe it. He wasn't one to coward out like that…. was he? Well, he had spent the past encounters avoiding Maria… but that was because of her magic!  
At least that's what Robin argued with himself before finally shoving the thoughts away. He needed a walk to sort his thoughts. Robin marched out of the inn so quickly he failed to notice Henry sitting in a private corner with the young man in the green coat he had passed earlier.

"Did you get my letters?" Lizzy asked Henry.

"Yes, do you think it could mean something?"

"Perhaps—I believe so. Her dreams have acted as a sort of warning before. I've been going back and dating them, or so what I remember, and well, remember the storms that hit England last year?"

"Yeah, the ones that caused the shipwreck—"

"Yes! Well, that was about the time Maria started having dreadful nightmares. She went days without sleep. I believe it was the same time William's ship came with Althea. They must be connected through magic. They must have been a warning."

Henry rubbed his chin. It made sense, but he was sure nothing had changed back home to warrant any warnings. In fact, before coming to London, he and David had gone down to see Charles while Richard kept Robin preoccupied. It hadn't gone too well, Charles refused to speak, only demanding to know about Robin. When they didn't answer his questions, he began taunting Henry and David instead.

Henry and Lizzy's meeting that night was brief. With London getting dark so early, Henry didn't want to put Lizzy in any danger. He was also growing concerned. At the docks, he heard some sailors and merchants muttering about magic and the likes, from some far-off land. There was still no mention of pearls or Moonacre, but with the girls out here on their own, it wasn't a risk he wanted to take. He told all this to Lizzy, he wanted to keep her informed.

Once they were finished, he walked her back to school like he always did after they met. This was the last time they were meeting before the Holidays.

"Thank you, Henry. I always feel like such an inconvenience. Having you walk me home every time."

"Never a bother," He said with a soft smile that caused a flutter in Lizzy's heart. "Besides, I'm already as far removed from a gentleman as there could be. Well possibly except for the other boys, they've got some growing to do. Anyways, it's the least I could do, to—you know—treat you properly." Henry mumbled that last bit.

Lizzy smiled brightly at him. A smile that seemed to melt the cold from his body.  
A part of her wanted to stay there with him and continue talking. Preposterous, she knew, it was too cold. She turned to leave, but before she could go into the hole, she felt Henry gently tug at her arm.

Perplexed, Lizzy found a nervously looking Henry. His black shaggy hair was once again masking his eyes and red cheeks. He fumbled inside of his jacket and pulled out a hastily wrapped package. A blue bow sat at the top corner, with the black De Noir Emblem placed in its center.

"What's this?" She asked, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Henry shrugged his shoulders, "open it." He muttered.

As Lizzy inspected the package, Henry did a bad job at feinting disinterest. He looked away and rocked on his heels, pretending to observe the officer patrolling the street, but Lizzy didn't miss the quick and worried side-glances he tossed her. Lizzy tentatively began to unwrap it and found a small note beneath the bow:

" _To: Lisabetta Thomas_

_From: Henry Dalton_

_Merry Christmas"_

"Henry! You shouldn't have! It's not even December. Oh, I haven't gotten you anything!"

Henry shrugged his shoulders, "It'll be December in two days, and I think you could use it. Go on, open it." Henry watched her carefully, hoping her smile would only grow once she saw it.

She pulled off the last piece of wrapping and shade of red blossomed on her cheeks. Her smile did grow. It was a leather-bound journal, dyed a deep green that matched the color of her coat. It was held shut by a golden clasp in the shape of a heart. Her stomach fluttered.

"Oh Henry, this is beautiful! I—I don't know what to say." Lizzy stammered. She recalled their first night when she spilled her notes and immediately felt embarrassed. It was probably why he bought her a journal.

"It's nothing really. I just figured it may help you out. I didn't want to take any liberties, but I also didn't want to rewrite your notes, so here," Henry handed her a sowed text block with all of their notes written inside. "If you want, you can sew this into the cover, to join the rest of the empty pages. But if you'd rather rewrite it—"

"—No, this is perfect, thank you!" Lizzy wrapped her arms around Henry's waist in a tight, yet short-lived, hug. Henry was left bewildered and red in the face.

Lizzy reluctantly pulled away, she looked up and met his eyes. Feeling a sudden sense of boldness, she rose on the tips of her toes and placed a chaste peck on his cheek. The police officer patrolling the streets, alarmed by the sudden display of affection between these two young "men" grunted and turned away. Lizzy giggled, said goodbye, before disappearing through the gate and into the gardens. Henry was left frozen in place. He stood there for what seemed like hours.

"Sir, are you alright?" The police officer asked.

Henry curtly nodded his head and with a smile, walked back to the inn. For the first time, he wasn't looking forwards to returning to Moonacre.

...oOo...

It was late at night when the De Noir stallions arrived at the castle. Any excitement they felt at arriving home and getting to bed dissipated when they noticed groups of lanterns walking around the castle and the outskirts of the forest.

Maybelle was at the front gate. She looked livid. Her black curls were in disarray and she was still in her evening dress.

"Maybelle, what's going on?" Robin asked, showing concern for her for the first time in a while.

Her tear stained eyes grew wide, fearful of Robin's reaction. Instead, she looked at the other boys, her eyes falling on David and reached for his arm.  
"Charles, he's escaped! He took Althea too!"

"Bollocks!" Richard cursed.

"When did this happen?" Henry asked.

"The morning after you left."

"6 days…" David muttered.

"Why didn't anyone tell us sooner?" Henry demanded to know. Robin remained quiet. Though he understood this was bad, he didn't know how to react. He felt numb.

"We—we, your father, Robin. He wanted us to search first. We didn't want to alarm anyone. Sir Benjamin doesn't yet know either. It's been a mess. I didn't know how this happened, none of us do!"

The boys thanked Maybelle and rushed to join the search party. Robin, still numbed, followed along.

Before David could join, Maybelle called him. "Could you ask her? Please?" She sniffed. "She won't talk to me."

"Can't say I'm surprised." He turned to walk away, but called out over his shoulder, "meet me tomorrow morning, I'll tell you if I learn anything."

...oOo...

"This is absolutely preposterous!" Sir Benjamin shouted. It was the morning after and the De Noir clan had just informed the Merryweathers about the escape. Sir Benjamin couldn't believe it, or the fact that Coeur waited a week to tell him. The search party found no sign that the escapees we're still in Moonacre. Sir Benjamin was worried Maria's plan had worked, and the monster had headed straight to London for the pearls. He was angry, surly someone had betrayed them, and informed Charles that Maria had the pearls in London.

"Trust me, Benjamin. I am as angry as you—"

"It's not your niece and her friends who are in danger!" Benjamin shouted.

"You are wrong Benjamin. Maria may not be a blood relative, but she means a lot to my family, and I know more than anyone else here how it feels to think your daughter is dead or in danger!"

Sir Benjamin paled and took a seat. He rubbed his forehead with his palms and sunk his face into his hands.

Mr. Havisham and Dulac exchanged looks. They presented Sir Benjamin a freshly drawn map of Moonacre Valley, except, the valley was now named Lunendale and the roads to Moonacre were changed or erased. Silverdew's name had been changed to Silbern and even Merryweather Bay, the seaport, was gone from the map.

"The boys will be leaving first thing tomorrow to submit the documentation. Under the false pretense that Moonacre Valley has been purchased from us and merged into Lunendale, we will temporarily halt all trade that is not directly from our ships and hope the townspeople don't notice."

"That'll never work!"

Mr. Havisham stepped forwards, "Sir Benjamin, Coeur has been running his business for much longer than you have been a man. We have the connections and money to make this happen. Not only that, but Moonacre isn't significant enough to cause suspicion were it to suddenly disappear. Focus on your family and leave the rest to us."

"But Maria, she's still in London and will be leaving to Bristol with her friends." Mrs. Heliotrope cried out.

"She must come home immediately!" Loveday added, waking up Albert who had been sleeping in her arms. He began to whine and push himself away from his mother. She set him down and he wobbled over to Robing, shouting "Bobin" as he did.  
Ignoring the stares from everyone else, Robin crouched low and gave Albert his scarf. Albert was delighted and stopped his pestering, instead, he plopped down by Robin's legs and began to play with the feathers.

This distraction was enough time for Richard to think. "Or, we can go to her," Richard suggested, much to the shock of his friends.  
"Before we go off running like chickens without our heads, think of this: The only person who knows of Maria's true whereabouts is Maybelle." He said pointing a finger to the pale girl in the corner. "She's never told Charles this bit. Seems they lost touch once she left to school." Maybelle vigorously nodded her head. "If word gets around of our sudden name change, trade detour, and the city sees an entourage of men escorting one petite girl, that'll definitely draw suspicion. Instead, we continue with our lives as if we have nothing to hide."

David snapped his fingers. "Since we have to go to London tomorrow, we may as well stay! Reckon we can watch from afar and follow their carriage to Bristol."

Robin frowned. He didn't want to spend any more time watching her. Then he looked down to Albert and smiled, he had grown attached to him; and even forgive Loveday for marrying the Merryweather. He didn't want Albert to be in danger. Althea seemed to be a force to be reckoned with and the blasted scar on his back was a reminder to use caution around the beast. Perhaps, he should help with Maria.

Sir Benjamin sighed and massaged his brow. Loveday strolled over and placed a loving hand on his shoulder. "She'll be safe. She has her pearls. If anything, the boys will be in greater danger than her."

Sir Benjamin scoffed. "Is that supposed to make me feel any better? I don't want their lives on my hands because I failed to stop this ruddy curse ages ago and can't even protect my damn family!"

"Sir Benjamin, language!" Mrs. Heliotrope chastised.

"Perhaps, if we take a step back, we will all see that Miss Loveday and the young lads are right. Maria is more than capable of watching over herself and others. Let the boys go," Marmaduke added. "It'll serve a double purpose. They'll keep an eye out for Maria and it may help bring Robin's memories back"

"Oh alright!" Sir Benjamin snapped. "There will be no funny business between you all and my niece, otherwise you'll deal directly with me." At this, Sir Benjamin pointedly glared at Robin who glowered in return. Like he'd want anything to do with the little witch.

"But more importantly, any dangerous activity and you are to come back immediately! And do no, I repeat do not tell Maria what's happened. She's bound to do something reckless to 'protect' us. Am I understood?" Sir Benjamin finished.

That night, the boys went home to pack up their belongings. David was in his room. It was a small room, but the perfect size for a young man who was hardly home. His family had served the De Noirs for ages and were granted a modest plot of land on the De Noir grounds. Using his earnings from the trade, David saved enough to build a small cottage for his mother and sister on this land.

He heard a faint knock on the door followed by his sister coming in. She was dressed for bed, her soft brunet waves and hazel eyes flickered with the candlelight.

"You really have to go? Again?"

David nodded his head, "Is mother asleep?"

"Not yet, she's still praying. She's worried for you. She doesn't want you to do this, she can't handle losing more family." His sister stepped closer and placed an arm on his shoulder. "I don't like this. You don't have to do this. I earn a bit. Mother can still work. You are putting yourself in danger every day."

David stopped his packing and shook his head. "You know more than anyone the sacrifices we need to make to have a good life. Besides, it's not just about the money. They're my friends, all of them. If I were in danger, I know they'd do the same for me."

Cecile bit her lip and brought David close into a hug. David wrapped his arm around his sister. "It'll be fine. I promise, we just have to find the bastard."

"He really did escape?"

"Yes."

Cecille sighed. "I thought he was different."

"Eh," David shrugged. "Seems you have a habit of picking the wrong ones. Though I will thank him for ridding us of Thomas."

Cecille gasped and smacked his arm. There was no hiding the tears welling in her eyes. "Don't say that. Thomas was, well, he was a decent man—"

"—Hardly" David chortled.

"One who would've given us a better life."

David shook his head, "a drunken one. You deserve better."

His sister scowled, "Who are you to talk. You sound like a prude! Is there a girl you fancy?"

Now it was David's turn to sigh. He sat down with his sister and rested his head on his hand. He solemnly shook his head, no.

"Oh please, that was a lover's sigh."

"I have nothing to offer, and she's a diplomat's daughter—from Spain."

Cecille laughed and nudged her brother on his shoulder. "How romantic. I hear those Spanish eyes are captivating. Maybe she's hypnotized you. Just like you used to rave Miss Maria did to Master Robin."

"Don't call him that, he's our friend. And Maria has magic, it's a mistake anyone could 'ave made. Even Robin thinks that now!"

"He's  _your_  friend, but the heir of  _my_  employer. On that note, you've done well for yourself. After building this, and getting us out of the cramped servants quarters, you've invested. Soon you'll be on par with all the fancy gentlemen out in the world! What's to say you won't be to her liking?"

"Without the title, any money I earn means nothing. Besides, I think her heart belongs to someone else. They much better suited for one another."

"You'd be surprised, David. Love works in mysterious ways—"

David scoffed and shook his head, "Like it did for you?" His eyes grew wide when he realized what he said.

Cecille's face fell, and she rubbed away the tears away from her eyes.

"No—no I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Don't worry … it's the truth. Learn from me. You have money to offer, I have nothing." Cecille got up to walk back to her room.

"Cecille, I promise I will get you your dowry!"

Cecille forced a small smile. "Thank you, David. But it may be too late for me. Save it for yourself."

* * *

"John, Michael? What the hell are you two doing here?" Charles was shocked to find his friends settled before him on a long table. The room was dimly lit with lanterns and candles. The walls seemed to be made of stone but were covered with tapestries and throw rugs of various shapes and designs. From his studies, Charles recognized a few that were decorated with religious symbols. Some were elaborate and ornate, with golden thread sown through the edges and designs. Others were plain and simple. Men sat scattered around the table. They varied in age, though Charles was sure he and his friends were some of the younger ones. The men were worn and wary, they eyed Charles cautiously. The head of the table was empty.

"Come on mate, really think we'd stick around after your plan fell through?" Michael said.

"Not risking getting caught, that's certain," John added.

"Yeah, we formed our own contingency plans, some you best be thankful for."

"It's us who told the gent about you and Althea."

John and Michael shot back and forth, explaining themselves to Charles.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked. He had to admit, he was impressed. He always considered his friends to be a bit daft and assumed they had abandoned him.

"You know that day we found her after she attacked me? Yeah well, I was mad. Felt you were defending the bloody beast instead of me. So, I went to a bar, got drunk and may have spilled more than I should."

"—You what? —"

"—wait your turn, Charles. Fortunate for us, that good ole' gent was the one listening in. Turns out he had been looking for her. Expecting her too."

"Why didn't he come for her then."

"I was curious about the turn of events," spoke a low voice entering the room. It was the man who had helped Charles. He strolled in with a commanding grace and walked to his seat at the head of the table. "From what John spilled, it seemed you had better, more interesting uses for her. I wanted to observe how far you advanced."

"Where is she?"

"Don't worry about her, the lady is off hunting her meal."


	5. Of Pranks and Unspoken Truces

"Ugh, I can't wait for Saturday," Cat said as she threw herself on to her bed. She had spent all morning disciplining two third years who thought it'd be funny to hide the belongings of the first years going home. It was the start of their winter holiday break and all were eager to leave school. Well the girls would be staying for a couple more days. As headmistress assistant, Maria had some bookkeeping to do and ensure the rest of the girls all were ready to go. Because she was still working, they had to postpone their travels to Bristol where they would be spending the first two weeks before Christmas with Jane and her family.

The door burst opened, and Lizzy came running in. She jumped when she saw her sister and Maria were already in the room. "Oh, I thought you'd girls would still be occupied."

"Good day to you too, oh dearly beloved sister," Cat responded flatly. "What do you have there?" She asked spotting the brown envelope in her hand.

Lizzy quickly hid it behind her back and tried to step back out of the room. She wasn't quick enough, Maria snuck up from behind and snatched the letter away.

Her eyes went wide, recognizing the seal and name of the sender. Maria squeaked. "You've been corresponding with Henry? And you never told us?"

Cat gasped and lunged for the letter, grabbing it from Maria's grips. "Am I too have a brother-in-law soon?" She gushed, staring in amazement at Henry's messy scrawl. "What does the letter say? Tell us! Is he the shy, yet bold and passionate, type?"

Lizzy turned a bright red and took the letter back from her sister, "it's nothing like that… He's just updating me on news from Moonacre." Without another word, Lizzy bounded out the room.

"What's gotten into her," Cat remarked. "If it was truly nothing she'd tell us."

"Cat, let her be, you know Lizzy's just shy when it comes to love."

Out in the gardens, Lizzy opened the letter. She wasn't expecting one and knew from the messy writing that the letter was sent in haste. Inside was a small note:

"Emergency. Meet me tonight at the tavern. Do not speak a word."

That night, Lizzy hurriedly got ready to meet Henry. So rushed was she, that she failed to notice Cat peaking from underneath her blankets, observing her. Cat's confusion only increased when Lizzy changed into her men's clothing.

Cat waited a few seconds after Lizzy left the room to follow. Shivering from the cold, and her feet growing numb, she quietly padded behind Lizzy in the dark. It wasn't long before Lizzy became shrouded in the darkness of the gardens, but Cat no longer followed. She didn't need to. Cat already knew where Lizzy was heading to, towards the hole in the gate.

Lizzy's heart beat at her ears. Her nerves were on edge and she wondered what news Henry brought tonight. She had a horrible feeling about it. It didn't help that all night long she felt watched.

Lizzy pulled down her cap and raised her collar. Her long blue scarf was wrapped snug against her and hid her face so that only her eyes were visible. Throughout her walk, the feeling of being watched grew, yet every time she looked back, there was no one behind her.  
As Lizzy neared the tavern, she heard a shuffle of steps behind her. Lizzy jumped, there was a man following her. His face was hidden by a black scarf, his clothes were worn and had holes. Lizzy quickened and turned a corner, hoping to shake him off. Turning back, her heart bolted, he was still behind her, getting closer. They met eyes, and he sneered.

Lizzy yelped and ran. Soon, the man's footsteps pounded behind her, spurring her forwards. She rounded another corner into the street that led to the tavern.

Ahead of her, she recognized the tall young man with shaggy hair, a bowler hat, and hands in his pocket heading to the tavern.

"Henry!" She called out. As he turned around she felt two arms wrap around her waist. They squeezed the air out of her. "Help me!" She croaked as she was lifted in the air.

Henry's yelled and he bolted forwards, chasing after the assailant who was now running down another street with Lizzy.

Lizzy continued to struggle against the man's hold. She pounded her fists into his arms and kicked her legs around her, trying to trip him.

Henry quickly caught up and tackled the attacker, sending all three bodies sprawling to the floor.

Lizzy groaned and picked herself up. She rushed to help Henry, but he was already on his feet. He held the man up by the shirt and shook him in the air.

"Who sent you! What do you want?" He yelled as he slammed the man back against the brick wall.

The man shuddered and groaned. He recovered just as quickly and flailed about, trying to punch Henry's face, but Henry easily kept him at arm's length. He slammed him once more against the wall.

Getting no answer, Henry unsheathed his sword and brought it to the man's neck. "Why did you attack her?" He said pressing the blade to the man's neck.

The man's eyes went wide with fear.

"H—her? No, no—he—she was just easy prey, that's all I swear!" He stuttered, trying to pull Henry's arms away from his neck. "Figures with such a nice coat he—she mus' 'ave a pretty penny on 'er. Easy catch!"

Henry snarled with disgust and sent a punch to his temple, knocking the man cold. He let him fall the ground then rushed to check on Lizzy.

"Lizzy, are you alright?"

Lizzy tried to nod her head. She wanted to tell him she was alright, that she wasn't bothered, but she couldn't. Words wouldn't come out. Instead, she continued to shake her head, more vigorously that she should, but Henry didn't believe her. She was trembling and pale. He adjusted her coat and wrapped her scarf once more around her neck and face, trying to hide her feminine features. Then he picked up her cap from the floor and placed it on her head, trying to hide her lose hairs. Henry wrapped an arm protectively around her and guided her back to the tavern. At the counter he ordered some tea and a private room all the while keeping a cautious eye around them.

At the room, Henry gently led her inside. He stuck his head out the door and made sure they hadn't been followed.

Lizzy stood at the center of the room. She was still in a daze and hardly paid attention when Henry said he would be back in a moment and stepped outside. Lizzy sluggishly walked to the bed and sat down. She stared at her trembling hands, still feeling the incessant drumming of her heart at her ears. It almost drowned out Henry's returning footsteps. He was holding a tray with a teapot and two mugs.

Henry pushed a warm cup of tea into her hands, standing close in case it should slip from her grasp. She took a few sips, and slowly, her shock began to wane, allowing her to assess the situation she was now in. Lizzy gasped. She was in a bedroom, alone with Henry, she was sitting on a bed. She jumped in the air and swayed as the room spun from underneath her. Henry rushed to her, almost spilling the cup of tea, as he sat her back down.

"I—I should get going. I Shouldn't be here."

Henry tried to dissuade her, but Lizzy just shook her head. "I haven't been sleeping, I'm just tired."

"Lizzy, wait," Henry pleaded. He took her hands into his own where he steadied them. "It's not safe down there." He whispered. "I'm so sorry Lizzy but you have to believe me, I—I mean no disrespect, bringing you in a room, but Charles and Althea, they've escaped. We don't know where they are. They could have eyes and ears anywhere."

Lizzy turned a sickly yellow, she felt the room spin around her once more and she rushed to the rubbish bin by the bed where she vomited.

Henry stayed by her side, rubbing her back. "It's why I told you to meet me here today. Damn it! I knew I should've gone to pick you up as well."

"What happened?"

"It was ten days ago, we only just found out a few days ago. The dungeon's guards were murdered. We think it was John and Michael who helped them escape. That or others on the inside, how else would they know how to find the dungeons or the prisoners?"

Lizzy nodded her head and used Henry for support and she made her way to her satchel. Forcing her thoughts of impropriety aside as Henry sat next to her, she pulled out the notebook Henry had given her and began jotting notes. From the corner of her eye, she saw Henry shake his head. Curious, she raised her eyes in question. He had removed his hat and brushed his hair out of his face. There was a twinkle of mirth in his otherwise worried eyes that watched her with loving amusement.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice merely a whisper. The color was slowly returning to her face, though it was partly due to how Henry was looking at her.

"You almost get mugged, you find out a monster and kidnapper escape, and then you get sick, yet at the first bit of news, you take down some notes. I reckon anyone else would wait to recover."

Lizzy managed a small smile. "Well we're here now, and the man's gone, best we get to work."

It was a quick meeting that night and as always, Henry walked her back to her school. However, Henry didn't just stop at the gate. Despite Lizzy's protests, he not only escorted her through the hole, but through the school gardens, and up all the way to the school's back door. He would have escorted her back to her room, but that Lizzy simply would not allow. Before he left, Henry also informed they would be following to Bristol and back, keeping guard. They decided not to meet until then.

* * *

Maria was jostled awake as the carriage rode over a hole in the road. She fluffed up her traveling pillows, readjusted herself, and tried to fall back asleep. For their travels, Jane's family sent a carriage to bring them. For safety, two manservants were sent along as well. Though they were more than protected, the girls still made sure to take necessary precautions. Lizzy, in particular, had been especially jumpy and looking paler, not even Cat seemed to know how to ease her. She also spent much of her time reading and writing in a green journal Cat had never seen before. It was through Lizzy's suggestion that they all wore Maria's old Moonacre dresses from Loveday. She reminded them that their travels could be long and uncomfortable, that with the Moonacre dresses, they would be able to move about and defend themselves should they have to. For that matter, Maria also kept herself wrapped up in her long wooly cloak over her coat, and scarf, both of which hid her moon pearls well. They had already traveled for a day and were growing weary. The cold weather forced them to stuff their carriage with woolen blankets and many pillows. Maria could not imagine how the coachmen and manservants were surviving the weather up above. Their one consolation was that it had yet to snow, otherwise they would be forced to make a stop.  
Lizzy and Cat were still asleep. It was the last stretch of their trip. By dawn, they would be arriving with Jane's family. Maria was dozing off when she felt the carriage come to a slow stop.

She stuck her head out the window and saw the three men dismounting from the carriage.

"Is everything alright, sir?" She called out.

"Yes, madam no need to worry yourself, just a log across the road," the coachman replied.

Maria tensed, she had read about highwaymen setting such traps to raid travelers. Maria pulled her cloak closer and patted down her scarf, making sure her pearls remained hidden. With how busy school kept her, she still wasn't sure how to channel her pearls' magic, she didn't want to wait until an emergency to figure that out.  
Before Maria could decide if she should wake her friends, the carriage began to move again, and she let out a sigh of relief.

She stuck her head out the window, taking in the cool crisp air and spotted the twinkling stars through the canopy. Behind them; a movement caught her eye. She was sure she saw shadows move about behind the trees.

Before Maria could make out any more forms, the skies darkened. The low hum of approaching winds buzzed at her ears and blew at her scarf. A few minutes later, it began to snow. The shift in weather was so sudden, it startled the horses and they began to neigh in fright. The carriage rocked and woke the sisters.

"Misses!" She heard the coachman shout, "I'm afraid we'll have to stop for tonight! We may have snowsquall coming." It wasn't long before the carriage arrived at a stagecoach lodge.

That night the girls paid for a private room and squeezed into one large bed, with Lizzy in the middle. Unfortunately, the girls woke up to find that the squall had turned into a snowstorm. They spent all day bored and trying to distract themselves. Lizzy buried herself in her books while Maria and Cat went around the lodge, speaking to the other guests and playing the piano. Often, Cat noticed Lizzy taking intermittent breaks to check outside her window or even step out of the lodge, as though in search of something. This, Cat pointed out to Maria, and soon the two girls were working together to observe a seemingly paranoid Lizzy.  
It wasn't until the late afternoon that the snow calmed into a flurry. Taking advantage of the break, the girls quickly hopped into their carriage and continued their journey. The servants promised they would arrive by nightfall.

Some time into their drive the carriage swerved, and Maria fell into Lizzy. They came to a jarring stop and the pillows and blankets fell all over the girls, covering them.

"Misses, we seem to have a problem!" She heard the coachman cry out. The girls swam through the mess of blankets and pillows and stepped out of the carriage. There was a light snowfall, and the girls huddled together as they approached the men. The carriage had fallen through the snow into a deep pit in the road.

"Oh no," Cat sighed. The sun was setting soon, and it would be getting colder.

"We must lighten the carriage to lift it," Maria said. The ladies helped the men unload the carriage. Cat did her best to pile the blankets and pillows over the luggage, she didn't want them getting dirty or wet from the ground. Stepping back, the three men tried to push the carriage. Despite all their effort, it would only rock and groan. The carriage remained stuck.

"What are we going to do?" Lizzy said with panic in her voice, they were too far to walk back to the lodge, and nowhere near Bristol yet. They were stranded and she didn't want to remain out any longer. She walked around the carriage, searching into the forest, hoping to find any of the De Noir boys. She prayed they were truly following along.

Cat walked up to Maria and whispered into her ear, "Maria, could you wave your fingers and cast a spell to lift the carriage?"

Maria shook her head, "I don't think it works that way…. And if it did, I wouldn't know how to do that."

Cat's face fell, and she joined the men in pushing the carriage.  
"Look, help!" Lizzy called out. Six lanterns were coming out of the forest and approached the travelers. They heard some laughter, it didn't sound too friendly. The girls huddled together as the voices drew nearer.

"Well friends, it seems we have a problem, don't we?" Said a young man at the front of the group. His shoulder-length hair was tied behind in a ponytail, and he wore a low flat-crowned felt slouch hat. He was dressed in finely tailored clothing, but it was dirty.

"I don't think they mean well…" Cat whispered. Lizzy nodded her head as Maria pushed to the front, ready to defend her friends.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her arms and pushed them against her. She was lifted into the air and thrown on another man's back. The men started laughing and two others grabbed Lizzy and Cat.

"Drop me this instant you monster!" Maria shouted. Her friends yelled behind her, also struggling to break free. Cat was screaming Spanish obscenities and pounding her kidnapper with her fists. Lizzy grabbed the man's ears and hair and was pulling them for her life. The rest of the rogues began to ransack the carriage and beat the coachman and servants.

The girls screamed as they were carried away, they were afraid of what was to come. Maria began to focus her energy on the pearls, trying to usher forth any power or magic that could protect them. A pink light began to glow from her, alarming their kidnappers. She was suddenly thrust into the air by magic and she heard the First Moon Princess' voice urging her to concentrate _._ Startled, the men brought out their swords as Maria continued to float upwards. She closed her eyes and clapped her hands together. A white beam burst from her and shot her attacker. He was flung back and hit a tree where he slumped to the ground. The other two dropped her friends and ran for their lives. Maria threw two spheres of magic and knocked the men down to their stomachs.

Back at the carriage, gun shots pierced the night sky. Maria floated down from above and grabbed her friends by their hands. She pulled them towards the carriage. Robin was there, along with his friends. They were fighting the other thieves.

Robin was gaining the upper hand over the rogue leader, but when he saw Maria run from out of the shadows, covered in a pink glowing light, he fumbled. Not missing the opportunity, the thief's leader tackled Robin, shouldering him in the face. They fell to the ground where the bandit began to punch Robin. He pulled out his knife and was about to stab Robin in the neck.

"No!" Maria shouted. A ray of light shot from her hands and sent the thief flying back. He hit against the carriage. By now, the rest of the plunderers stopped, they grew afraid of Maria. They screamed and ran away.

The rogue leader stood up against the carriage and moaned "What are you?" Drops of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and nose.

"N—no, it's not what you think!"

"—A witch! You're a wi—" He allegations were cut short. Robin sent a quick punch to his head, knocking him out cold. Then Robin turned to Maria and raised an accusatory finger in her direction. "Merryweather, you have got to be careful!"

Maria raised her hands in defense, she was confused. "Me? What am I to be careful of,  _they_  attacked  _us_!"

"That's not what I mean!" Robin shouted gesturing up and down her body, hoping she'd catch his meaning. Suddenly, she noticed the pink light that was still surrounding her. "You're being reckless with your magic like that! You'll draw unwanted attention." Robin continued his tirade.

Maria gapped. The pink light began to fade into Maria as she found her response. "I have no control of this—"

"—then learn to control it!" He snapped back.

"We were in danger!"

"No, we were saving you!"

Maria scoffed. "How was I supposed to know you'd be here! Why are you here anyway?" By now all the light had faded and they were left in darkness.

Now it was Robin's turn to gap. David and Richard each picked up a torch from the ground and lit them. Robin turned to look at his friends, looking for an excuse, but they simply shrugged their shoulders.

Maria marched up to Robin, her hands were on her hips and there was a determined glint in her eye. Robin eyed the pearls around her neck, trepidation marred his face for a brief second.

"What is going on? Why  _are_  you all here?" Maria demanded to know. By now she had inched closer to Robin's race, raising herself on the tips of her toes to match his eyes.

"Uh—misses—w—what happened?" The manservants and coachman began to wake up from their stupor. The friends quickly rushed to help them, leaving Maria and Robin alone to glare at one another. Robin still refused to answer. He didn't have an excuse.

"Robin, come help" Henry called, giving Robin the distraction he needed to escape from Maria.

"It's not over," Maria snarled under her breath. Robin shirked her comment and went to help his friends. Soon, the men lifted the carriage from the hole and they were once more on their way.

The rest of the ride through the night was silent. Maria was confused, her mind worked furiously to understand tonight's events. Though Cat tried to speak to her, Maria wasn't paying attention. Robin was right, she had no control over her powers. If they manifested themselves without her control every time she was in danger, then it was only a matter of time before all of England discovered the secret of her Moon Pearls.

Maria stuck her head out the window and now spotted De Noir gang behind them. They were wrapped in thick winter coats to protect them from the cold as they rode on their horses. Her eyes locked onto Robin's, a shared look of mistrust and frustration passed through them. Maria huffed and fell back into her seat. She crossed her arms. She was tired of this Robin, with every encounter she had with him, her desire to bring back the old Robin grew.

Soon they arrived at Bristol, the moon was now up in the sky and the carriage came to a stop at a large mansion on the outskirts of the city. Jane was outside in the cold, waiting by her doorsteps. Her pacing had carved a path in the snow. When she saw the carriage pull up, she ran towards it.

"Girls! You're here! I was so worried when you didn't arrive yesterday. I couldn't help but fear the worst!"

The girls stepped down from the carriage and greeted one another. They expressed how much they had missed Jane and were excited to see her again. Yet despite the loving reunion, Jane didn't miss the tension in the air.

"Goodness, with those faces you're making, I would almost think you saw a ghost." Then Jane noticed the De Noir gang behind the carriage, still on their horses.

"Boys, you're here? What's going on?" Jane looked at them for answers, but all she received were solemn shrugs. Even Richard could do no more than give her a weak wink and two-finger salute.

"What happened?"

"We were ambushed" the coach driver answered. "These young men saved us."

"Well thank goodness they were there. Though I'm going to need all the details once we get inside…." She gave a long look to the large group. "That includes all of you."

"No, it's alright, we'll head to an inn—" Robin began to say but was quickly cut off by Jane.

"Nonsense! My home has more than enough space for everyone." She gestured pointing to the large mansion behind her. "I also told them so much about you all, they would love to meet you."

Though Jane's parents were shocked at the sight of the unexpected and strangely dressed young men, as soon as they heard about the ambush they warmly invited them to stay. Jane's father, Mr. Frederick Thomas, was a tall, thin, and bespectacled man with slicked-back grey hair. He had a quiet demeanor, letting his wife do most of the talking, while occasionally nodding or smiling at her words. Jane's mother, Mrs. Victoria Thomas, was a medium-sized and plumped woman. She appeared much younger than her husband and was very intrigued by the De Noir gang. She asked many questions about their trade, business, life, and education. Her barrage of questions overwhelmed the boys, especially Henry who was reluctant to share any personal information. Cat's questionings paled in comparisons to Jane's mother. It was only through the encouraging glances and smiles from Lizzy that he managed to last the rest of the night.  
The travelers were also introduced to Jane's younger twin brothers, Arnold and Arthur. They were about twelve years old from what Maria could guess. Both were identical with straight blonde hair and hazel eyes filled with mischief and tricks. The only difference was that Arthur was plumped where Arnold was thin. Richard didn't like the way either of the boys looked at him. Even Jane seemed too excited when Richard was introduced to the twins. For the first time, he hoped Jane hadn't mentioned his advances. He remembered Jane's many stories of their pranks and was not looking forward to his stay.  
The only brothers left to be introduced were James and George. James was the oldest of the siblings and wouldn't be arriving until the next day. He was a boatswain in the British navy and was returning from India. George was the second eldest and was a banker like his father, he had already gone to sleep.

After their introductions, the weary travelers were led to their rooms. Before the girls could separate, Jane asked "What happened? I had no idea the boys would be coming."

"Neither did I," Maria remarked. "Let's get ready for bed, we can meet at my room and we'll tell you everything we know!"

…oOo…

The mansion was on a large plot of land with gardens and plenty of nooks and crannies to hide a person's belongings, a quality Jane knew all too well. Though the girls enjoyed exploring the grounds and chatting with their friend and mother, the boys were having some trouble.  
On the first day, the boys couldn't find their hats or jackets. They searched high and low, but it wasn't until an embarrassed Mrs. Thomas forced the twins to speak, that they found the location of their items. Henry's hat and jacket were up a tree, Richard's and Robin's things were perched atop the highest points of the manor. David's items were dressed on his horse. Despite their laughter, the girls pitied the boys who had to search through the cold snow for their things.

The following day, Henry and Robin went out into the city. Robin was finding it difficult to avoid Maria and her many glares while they had to remain in the same building. She was still after him and wanted to know why they were there. Henry joined to keep him company and make sure Robin didn't get into trouble.  
David and Richard stayed with the girls. Along with the Jane and her brothers, they built a family of snowmen and an igloo like the ones Lizzy once read about. Yet despite their best attempts, the igloo came out looking more like a mound of snow with a hole for an entrance, than what Lizzy was sure they looked like. As they were inspecting the rest of the snow house, Richard thought it would be funny to toss a handful of snow at Jane. She retaliated with a hardpacked snowball aimed at the back of Richard's head.

Cat shouted, "Snowball fight!" and they quickly divided into teams. It was the Thomases against Maria and her friends. It was an intense snowball fight, Cat and David worked to make snowballs while Maria, Lizzy, and Richard threw them at their enemies. Richard noticed the brothers aimed at him more than they did to Maria or Lizzy. Soon, He was building a snow fort with Lizzy as a wall of defense while Maria and David maintained the offensive line of attack. Cat even tried persuading her to use her magic, something Maria refused to do. It was an unfair advantage. Besides, she wasn't sure how to do that anyways…  
In the end, Jane and brothers won the battle. James was a large and strong man whose naval experience made him the fastest and best thrower of snowballs. Richard personally had the pleasure of experiencing James' strength when he couldn't dodge fast enough and was hit straight in the face with an icy snowball. This happened more than once. His face was now a mess of bruises, cuts, and a bloody nose that left him feeling dizzy. Richard had to admit, it hurt, but not as much as his pride did when he saw the twins congratulate James and shoot their tongues out at Richard. It was then he realized that these pranks were a lot more personal. Jane, however, was mortified. She rushed to Richard and took off her gloves as she held his face and inspected him. Richard didn't miss her brothers' scowls and angry looks. As Jane led him into the house, Richard turned back and tossed her brothers a cocky smirk. Or so that's what they were sure it was meant to be. His face had swollen and made any expression indistinguishable.

That night, Richard woke up to a banging at his door. He got out of bed and peaked outside into the hall. It was dark, yet at the very end, he saw a black figure dart down the other side. It was wearing a bowler hat. Looking back into his room, Richard realized his hat was missing. He ran out his room and chased after the black figure. Coming down into the main hall, he found his bowler hat in the middle of the floor. There was no one else in sight. Picking up his hat, Richard realized this had all been a trick! He ran back into his room but slammed against his door. It was locked. Richard rattled the doorknob and swore he heard giggles from the other side.

Richard groaned. He was locked outside his room, with only his red fleece pajamas. Drawing a frustrated breath, Richard walked next door to Henry's room and woke him up. Ignoring Henry's laughter, Richard scaled the edge of Henry's icy balcony to reach his own. He then crawled through his window and thanked God the window had been left unlocked. Falling back to sleep, Richard was beginning to doubt his stay with Jane's family. He made a note to check tomorrow morning for any secret entrances to his room.

The next morning, Robin joined the twins in taunting Richard. The twins even asked him how the weather was last night and if it had been too cold for him. Annoyed Richard stepped outside to get a break. As he was walking through the gardens, he was confronted by James and George.

"I heard you've taken an interest in our sister?" George asked. Richard didn't like the way either looked at him, but he was determined not to be bothered.

Richard shrugged his shoulders, "what can I say? She's a beautiful lady."

James marched up to him and poked Richard in the chest. "I don't like you. Jane deserves better."

Richard smirked and stepped back with his hands in the air, "how about we let Jane decide what's good for her."

George laughed, "I don't know James, he's not afraid of you like the others. He may not be so bad."

James chuckled and punched his fist into his hand, "We'll see about that."

Before Richard could do anything, a sack was thrown over his head. Richard yelled as he was lifted into the air and carried off. He could hear the twins' laughter, even someone who sounded a lot like Robin, and realized this had been another setup.

Richard was suddenly thrown, and he fell onto the floor. He landed with a painful thump and heard large wooden doors shut close. Richard took off the sack over his head and found himself in darkness. Light streamed through the cracks around the door and from a square window up above. The room smelled of old hay, he was sure he was locked inside a shed or a barm.

Richard pulled and pushed at the doors, but they wouldn't budge. He sat down and laughed. Richard had underestimated Jane's siblings. After a few minutes, he began to search in the dark. If he could find a ladder to reach the window or a metal tool to force open the door, then he could get out. After all, it was about to get dark soon. They wouldn't leave him to freeze down her, would they?

Try as he might, Richard couldn't find anything to help him escape. He wasn't sure how long he was in there for, but he was beginning to shiver and grow hungry.

"Richard!" Jane called from outside. "Are you Inside?"

"Yes, your hospitable brothers locked me here."

"I'm coming for you, stay put!"

"I have nowhere else to go!" Richard said with a laugh.

True to her word, Jane climbed the side of the shed and peered down from the top of the window. She waved at Richard. "I found you!"

Richard raised an eyebrow, "if it was me you wanted, you never had far to look."

Jane groaned and stuck out her tongue at him. She tossed him some rope. Richard climbed back out the window, free at last.

He sat down beside Jane on the snow-covered roof. "Missed me?" He said with a wink.

Jane laughed and threw a clump of snow at him.

"No, there are many like you."

Richard mockingly gasped. "You wound me!" Then inching closer he said, "But doubt there are many like me who you've fought monsters with."

Jane nudged him away with her shoulder and laughed, "You're right, that I can't say."

Richard noticed Jane's brothers watching from their home. He waved and winked at them before laughing. It turns out locking him in the shed hadn't been so bad after all. Turning to Jane he said, "I don't think your brothers like me."

Jane looked and waved at her brothers as well. "No, I don't believe so. Can you blame them though?"

Richard shrugged his shoulders. "With a dashing fellow like me, I can't find a reason they wouldn't." Noticing the darkening clouds, he added. "It's getting cold, let's get you down before your brothers find more reason to kill me. Follow my lead, I'll catch you!"

Richard slid down from the roof and fell with an experienced roll on the ground. Picking up his hat, he urged Jane join him.

"Don't let me fall!" Jane squealed as she slid down the roof. She landed in the arms of Richard and laughed. Richard pressed her close and spun her around as it began to snow. Holding hands, she pulled him towards her home. As they entered, Richard gave her glowering brothers a two-finger salute. The rest of the night he spoke loudly of Jane's bravery in saving a country fool locked inside a freezing barn.

That night, the boys slept soundly. Richard hoped that would be the end of their pranks. It turns out, he was correct. The next day, Henry and Robin announced they had overstayed their visit and would be staying at an inn until they had to escort the girls back home.

Robin had been pestering the boys to leave. In fact, the day he went to the city square with Henry was only to look for an inn or tavern to stay. Throughout their time with the Thomases, Maria tried cornering him many times. She was very determined to find out what he and his friends were doing there. She knew something had happened. Questioning David, Henry or Richard gave her no answers. They would simply apologize and point fingers at Robin or her uncle. That left her no choice but to target him.

Now with the boys away, it would be harder to trap him. But that day, the girls were finally going to the market. If she ran into him, Maria could get another chance. Jane's birthday was in a couple of days, she was turning 21, and the girls wanted to get her a meaningful gift.

Maria dressed for the occasion. She put on a royal blue gown that contrasted beautifully with her pearls. Her bonnet was also a dark blue that brought out the copper hues in her hair. Cat wore a pink gown, similar in style to Maria's, while Lizzy wore a light blue empire waist dress. Jane's was yellow bustled hoop gown with khaki bonnet. Unfortunately, the weather forced them to cover their stylish outfits with plain woolly coats and cloaks.

With Jane at their side, the girls had to stealthily search for gifts. It was hard, every item the girls liked, Jane was quick to purchase it for herself. They were running out of stores and ideas. Eventually, Cat spotted Richard and David lounging at the center square. She asked Richard to distract Jane, a task he was happy to do.

"Do you want to come too?"

David looked up, Cat was staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Me?"

"No, the bush beside you—yes silly, or course I mean you!"

Behind Cat, Richard gave him a thumbs-up and wink as he pointed to her.

"Yes, sure."

"Great, you can help us choose her gifts!" Cat took David's arm and lifted him off the bench.

At first, Jane was reluctant to leave her friends and take a walk with Richard. She didn't want to miss a minute with them and refused to believe her friends wanted her to leave with Richard. She was sure they were simply being polite. It was only after he loudly whined about Jane rejecting his affection, to the point that people nearby stopped to stare with pitiful looks, that an embarrassed Jane agreed. In the end, the girls purchased a satin blue gown for Jane, a new embroidery set, a golden bracelet, and sapphire pin. They were sure she was going to love her gifts.

As they were returning to the central square, they ran into Jane and Richard. Both looked flustered and tried to stop the girls from continuing forwards. They wouldn't tell her why she had to turn back.

"No," Maria said crossing her arms. "this entire trip has been filled with secrets. I still don't know why you all are here, and every one of you refuses to tell me anything."

Richard sheepishly scratched his neck. He had nothing to say.

"The last thing I need is for my friends to be hiding secrets as well!" At this, Lizzy looked away with a guilty look on her face, one that Cat didn't miss.

Jane nodded her head and stepped to the side, allowing Maria to pass through.

There, in the central pavilion, was Robin De Noir with his arms over the shoulders of two girls, one on either side. Maria felt her face turn red and her heart drop.

She drew out a breath that formed a thick cloud of steam with the cold air.

"Is that all you were trying to hide?" She huffed.

"Yes, we were walking when we found him. We don't know where Henry is." At this, Lizzy looked to the town's clock tower. Her eyes grew wide and she escaped to the back. Her friends were too distracted with Maria to notice.

"Well, I don't care what that bird brain does." Maria continued. "He doesn't need Henry watching him every minute and you all don't need to protect my feelings. He could flirt with all of London and I wouldn't be affected. I'm still enjoying myself."

Maria wasn't fooling anyone, but no one dared challenge her. She took Cat by the hand and marched towards Robin, she was determined to prove how unaffected she was. Richard, David, and Jane looked to one another, they had a feeling this would end badly.

When Robin saw Maria approach, a moment of panic shot through him, but then he remembered, he didn't like the Merryweather. He didn't care what she thought. He relaxed into the arms of the girls and smirked.

"Good Day Robin," Maria gritted between her teeth.

Robin stiffened and nodded his head.

"And to you ladies as well," she finished, a bit more politely.

The young ladies giggled and waved at Maria. "Do you know him? He refuses to answer our questions." One of the girls sighed.

By now Cat, Jane, David, and Richard had joined them. Richard and David waved from behind, trying to grab Robin's attention, but he was too busy trying to stare Maria down.

"Yes, he's so mysterious," the second girl cooed. "We've never seen any man dressed in such manner. Well until now." She finished, eyeing David before finally spotting Richard like he was her next meal.

Richard shifted his weigh, feeling uncomfortable under her ogling stares. He looked to Jane for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "Not nice, is it?" She asked under her breath.

Richard shook his head and stepped closer to Jane.

"So, Miss…?"

"Merryweather," Maria answered the first girl.

"Pleasure. Ms. Merryweather, do you know Mr. De Noir?"

A sly smile appeared on Maria's pink lips. "Oh, I'm afraid I know him too well," she said. "His sister is married to my uncle."

"An unfortunate circumstance," Robin added.

"Oh, so you too have a history?" The second girl asked.

Both Robin and Maria scoffed.

"Hardly, this oaf spends most of his time on top of trees hiding—"

"And this girl spends her days at finishing school, pretending to be a lady while running off at night," Robin snapped back.

Maria glowered, then her face morphed into confusion, "That's not true—Hang on, how would you know that? I thought you didn't remember anything from before?"

Robin stalled. His mouth opened and closed as he sought an answer. Maria was right, he didn't know why he said that. Now that he thought of it, he couldn't remember a time he ever knew that. Robin sputtered, then shrugged his shoulder, "Dunno, just seems like something you'd do."

Everyone gasped, and Maria grew red. "Whatever I do with my time is none of your business to judge." Then she stepped closer and jabbed a finger at his chest, "Besides, if I ever did go out, rest assured I had my reasons. At least I confront my problems and don't run away like someone else I see here in front of me."

The two girls eyed each other from over Maria's arm. Feeling the tension rising, the girls excused themselves to avoid the collateral damage.

"Who said I was running?" Robin said stepping closer to Maria.

"Alright that's enough," Richard cut through the tension as he gently wrapped an arm around Maria and pulled her back.  
"Let me remind you mate that this little lady here is much powerful than she looks. We don't want to draw any attention or get you hurt."

"I'm not afraid of her, not anymore!" Robin tried pushing through Richard's arm, but Richard stood strong. He tried once more to appease him, "Robin, listen to us."

"No! I'm tired of listening to you all! I'm tired of having to run around after her! I'm tired of having to protect her!"

"Protect me from what?" Maria asked.

"Oh, you wish you knew don't you," Robin leered. "Don't like it, do you, being in the dark? Well, welcome to my world!" He spat.

"What is it you're hiding, tell me!"

"Do I really need to tell you, Merryweather?" Robin taunted. "Do you really not know? You're a smart girl, or so I've heard—"

"Robin!" Richard tried to cut him off, but it was no use, no one was listening to him.

"Come on Merryweather, why else would your Uncle need us to watch you? Why would you be in any danger."

Maria's hand moved to her necklace.

"That's right Merryweather. Anywhere you go is a liability for all of us! You risk putting us all in danger-"

"—Robin, cut that out!" David shouted, pushing Robin back. He was afraid Robin would spill about the escape or insult her. David tried to whisper out of earshot, but there was no use, all could still hear him, "What are you trying to do? She's our friend! None of this is her fault!"

"She's  _your_  friend not mine! I don't care for her," Robin snapped. He knocked David's arm away and pushed him back. David tripped over a loose plank and fell to the floor. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" Robin continued. "You have some nerve to speak to me this way! You're nobody! And no amount of action will change how she—" Robin pointed to Cat "—or anyone else sees you!"

David was shocked. He felt blind-sided. He clenched his first, wishing to deck Robin across the face, but he was right. He was just a glorified servant. David lowered his eyes, feeling the heat of his embarrassment wash over him.

"You—You  _mangurrian_!" Cat yelled at Robin. She slapped him across the face and turned to help David up, but it was too late, he had already left.

Cat ran after him.

"What the bloody hell is your problem!" Richard yelled. "None of what's happened to you is his or Maria's fault! David's done nothing to you, none of us have! He's been a good friend, through thick and thin, long before you lost your memories. Damn prick of a friend you are though! Whether you have your memories or not, that doesn't excuse you acting like a bloody bastard."  
Richard shoved Robin to the side. He took Maria and Jane by their arms, and let them away from Robin. They went off in search of David and Cat. Robin was left alone in the setting sun.

…oOo…

"David! David, where are you?" Cat shouted through the crowd. Finally, with help from some strangers, she found him sitting at the docks in the harbor.

"There you are!"

At Cat's voice, David stiffened and wiped away his eyes. He tried to get up and leave, but Cat got to him first. She grabbed his arm and implored that he stay with her. David shook his head, but he still couldn't say no to her pleading eyes. David slumped back down, and Cat sat right next to him.

"You know he's not in his right mind, don't you dare believe a word he said."

"But 'es right. You know he is," David sniffed.

"No, he's not. You are somebody. You're somebody who helped saved Albert, you're somebody who helped Maria defeat Charles and Althea, you're somebody who helped rescue three girls and men from a gang of highwaymen. You're a loyal friend and hard worker, one Robin is lucky to have at his side."

David shook his head. "You don't understand, I will never amount to anything. At least not someone who could give their mother the life they deserve, or their sister the opportunity to marry well and be happy."

"But you are David, you're doing that, right now. Every day you go to work, every day that you spend with Robin and the boys, you are growing into someone wonderful and great who will achieve all that he wants!"

"No one else will see that—"

"I already do, am I no one else?"

"That's different, you're a friend—"

"Yes, and soon you'll have more friends. All of who will see you for the honorable and worthy man that you are."

"Society will never accept me or my family. They will only see us as scum who happened to afford a tailor."

Cat sighed. She timidly slipped off her glove and gave David a worried look as she slid closer to him. She flexed her hand under the fading light and brought it close to David's. Her fingertips brushed against David's knuckles and settled over his clenched fist. Her hand worked to unfurl his fist and they slipped past his fingers until her palm pressed against his, spreading her warmth to him.

"Society's changing, we'll simply lead by example! I can't say it'll be easy, but we will all be there to help you." Her smile was infectious, and David's frown gave away. "And I know Robin didn't mean a word. He was just mad at Maria and took it out on you for defending her. When he's in his right mind, you'll see that he'll be the first one making sure the rest of 'proper' society is treating you well. Besides, if there's anything I learned from Mrs. Watson, it's that the more you care about what society thinks, the unhappier you will be."


	6. A December's Kiss

At night, when Lizzy returned, she heard from Cat what happened and felt incredibly guilty. She knew that if Henry had been with them, none of this would have happened. Robin seemed to listen to Henry the most and showed the most restraint around him.

"Where were you earlier?" Cat asked.

"I—I was at the library—"

"With Henry?" Cat continued. She peered into Lizzy's eyes looking for a hint of lies.

"Yes," Lizzy sighed looking at the floor.

"Why were you two at the library?" Maria asked.

Lizzy sat down on one of the parlor's couch and rubbed her temple. "We were looking for any books on magic. Neither of us have had any luck with helping you find a way to break the curse."

"So, is that why you two have been corresponding by letter?" Jane asked. Lizzy looked at her, surprised she knew this information. "Oh, Cat told me in one of her letters." Jane explained.

Lizzy nodded her head in resignation. Cat looked at her with questioning eyes. She was sure letters weren't the only form of communication between the two, but she had yet to find evidence saying otherwise.

Henry was furious when he found out. At first, he ignored Robin and stayed with David to make sure he was alright. When David fell asleep, he spent the rest of his night fighting with Robin. He couldn't understand why Robin had insulted David. Robin argued back, pointing out that they were all in favor of Maria and didn't care for him. Eventually though, he ran out of excuses and stayed silent while Henry continued to rebuke his actions.

As their days in Bristol passed, so did the animosity between the friend's wane. David no longer spoke around Robin, and Robin stopped speaking all together. While his anger subsided, his regret grew. He knew he had messed up. He knew he should apologize to David, but he couldn't bring himself around to doing so. Robin stopped responding to Richard's jibes and stopped complaining when his friends wanted to see Maria. Even Richard stopped teasing him. It was as though an unspoken truce had been agreed upon. One that increased twofold on Jane's birthday.

For her birthday, Richard suggested they rent out a schooner from some resting merchants. With Henry acting as captain, they took the girls sailing along the coast for the day. Once more, not a single word of complaint came out of Robin. In fact, he was the first to greet Maria. It wasn't a warm and friendly greeting, he only nodded his head in her direction, but it was an improvement from before.

David and Richard taught the girls to fish and a few sailing songs to sing. Henry taught Lizzy how to navigate and draw a map using the coastline as an example. All the while, Robin remained distant from his friends, observing them. The few times he made eye contact with Maria, he was the first to look away. Once, he was sure Maria even smiled. At sunset, Maria, Lizzy, and Cat produced three large baskets filled with deliciously smelling food. Maria had worked out a deal with Jane's cook to make this specialty dinner. One basket contained fresh dinner rolls, roasted pork, potatoes, rice, and chicken pot pies. The second basket contained a birthday cake, meringue pies, and sweet raspberry jam. The third basket did not have any food, but Jane's birthday gifts. The girls figured this was the best way to hide her gifts from her without drawing any suspicion.

Despite the lingering heaviness, they enjoyed their day and Jane loved her presents. It was with a heavy heart the girls realize this would be their final time together until next spring. Jane announced she had contacted Mrs. Watson about chaperoning the Spring Ball, a task Mrs. Watson was happy to give to one of her best pupils.

…oOo…

"I really wish you could all stay," Jane said with tears in her eyes. It was the end of their trip. Maria, Lizzy, and Cat had to return to their families for Christmas.

"I'm sorry Jane," Maria said and hugged her dear friend. "I really wish I could, but my uncle demands my return for 'safety' reasons."

"Yes, and Henry mentioned they need to take care of some business in London. Sir Benjamin refuses to allow Maria to be away without her entourage of protectors," Lizzy added.

"I'll continue to write to you, every week!" Cat said as she tackled Jane with a large hug. "Perhaps you can come down and visit us sooner?"

Jane nodded her head and promised to try. "Where are the boys?" Jane asked looking down the street.

"Afraid your beloved Richard won't say goodbye?" Cat teased.

Jane shook her head, but she couldn't stop the smile or that appeared on her face.

"How unfortunate," Lizzy said. "I was hoping you'd become our cousin-in-law."

"Hmm, I quite like the idea of having her close by in Moonacre. I approve," Maria quipped.

Jane laughed, "You girls tease too much. I simply worry about your safety. I won't rest until I see those boys leading the way back to London and Moonacre."

"What a shame, and here I thought the beautiful Jane had finally warmed up to me," Richard said, emerging from the other side of the carriage. He was followed by his friends. Sticking to tradition, Robin remained at the back.

Richard produced some shockingly red flowers from behind his back and gave them to Jane. "An exotic bouquet for an exquisite lady," Richard said with an exaggerated bow.

Jane gasped, she had never seen such flowers. "Where are they from?"

Richard shrugged his shoulders. "Somewhere in the Americas, though this flower comes from Egypt. They're trying to cultivate them there."

"Oh, those are Poinsettias!" Lizzy said. "They're from Latin America and used as decorations for Christmas. How fitting!"

"Will you miss me now?" Richard grinned.

"Please, the only thing I'll miss is my brothers targeting you with their pranks instead of me." Jane laughed.

"Jane, just say the word and I'll be at your side taking on your brothers! I have a few ideas up my sleeves that'll make them think twice about pranking you."

"I'll think about it."

Meanwhile, Maria was loading her luggage into the carriage. Her mitten-covered hand slipped, and the luggage came falling down. It was about to crash into her, when Robin intercepted it and pushed it back into the carriage.

"You have to be careful," he grunted.

"Like you care," Maria retorted. But she added a quiet "thanks" at the end.

Robin shrugged his shoulder, "perhaps not. But I do want to get you home in one piece. Otherwise, your uncle will kill me. I don't need two Merryweather's after me."

Maria shook his head, clearly, he still hadn't read her book. "I would never hurt you…" Maria mumbled under her breath, but Robin heard. "You're so thoughtful," Maria then sarcastically said.

Robin ignored her, he was still thinking of what she first said as he loaded the rest of her luggage. He then moved on and helped load the rest of her friends. When he was finished, he went to his horse and waited for the girls to finish their goodbyes.

...oOo...

"I don't like Robin," Maria stated.

The girls looked up from their tasks with confused faces. Lizzy was reading a novel while Cat was embroidering some birds from Spain. They were a few hours into their trip back home. Most of it had been in silence.

"What do you mean?" Lizzy asked.

"Does she really need to clarify? He's been an arse, a—a  _Man_ —"

"Cat, don't you dare finish that word!" Lizzy chastised.

Cat stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms.

"But she's right," Maria said defending Cat. "He's been horrible to everyone. He needs to be stopped. I need to help him."

"I still say you should hit him upside the head. Maybe your Moon Magic will finally knock some decency into him. Make sure it's a hard thump though."

"Cat, you're letting your feelings for David talk."

"Can you blame me? The poor thing already feels insecure about his status, the last thing he needs is his own friend calling him out on it."

Lizzy sighed and closed her book. Cat was right.

"If that doesn't work though?" Maria asked.

Lizzy looked between Cat and Maria, before responding, "I think David and Richard have a point. You may have to kiss him."

Maria rolled her eyes and fell back against her seat. "He doesn't love me, and I can't say that I do. It'll never work."

Lizzy sighed once more. She had nothing else to suggest.

Maria stared out the window for the rest of their trip back to London. There, Digweed would be waiting with a carriage to take her back home. Maria was too busy in her head, working out her next trap for the bird boy.

* * *

"Digweed!" Maria called him over. She was peeking out from the large manor doors, as though hiding.

"What be the matter, miss?"

Maria handed him a sealed envelope with the name "Robin De Noir" at the front. "I need you to give this to Robin when you see him. And if he asks who it's from, say Loveday."

Digweed creased his brow. "Now miss, last time I helped with this, your uncle nearly chewed my ear off."

"Please, Digweed. You must help me!" Maria begged. "Robin refuses to talk to me, I have a plan to get his memories back."

Digweed's eyes widened and he nodded his head. "You can count on me miss." Then he left to join Sir Benjamin. The men were going out on a hunt with the De Noir clan. They were hoping to catch a boar and deer for the holiday feasts. Maria was staying to help Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope with the Christmas decorations. Christmas would be held in the Merryweather estate while New Year's would be celebrated at the De Noir Castle.

As she headed back to her room, she ran into Marmaduke. He had a hand on his hip and with the other, pointed a wooden ladle at her. "Do I believe my eyes? Is the young Moon Princess plotting an attack?"

Maria stepped back and waved her hands in defense. "No, no, Marmaduke. Not an attack. I just want to get Robin to listen to me."

Marmaduke tapped his foot. "Alright then, but know that If you need my help, all you have to do is say the word and I'll pop at your service!"

"Thank you!"

Maria rushed into her tower and closed the door. Now she just had to wait until tomorrow.

…oOo….

"Maria dear, are you sure you don't want to come to Silverydew with us?" Loveday asked as she put on Albert's coat.

"Yes, Loveday, I'm sure. I'm been on the road too much, I want to spend some time home."

"Alright, be safe dear."

"Yes, my child, remember Digweed and Marmaduke are here if you need anything. We won't be long!" Mrs. Heliotrope said and kissed Maria's forehead.

"Maria," her uncle said coming out of his office. "Stay indoors. It's too cold for you to go outside."

"Yes uncle—"

"And if you do need to go outside, take Marmaduke or Digweed with you."

"Yes uncle, I will be safe and use my head."

Sir Benjamin grunted and gave Maria a short side hug. Before her family could leave, she lifted Albert into the air and spun him around. Then she blew a raspberry into his cheek. Albert was growing well. His hair was curly and fell to his shoulders. His eyes remained a beautiful blue filled with joy. There were no scares, mental or physical, from his kidnapping.

She waved goodbye to her family, closed the doors and left them unlocked. Then she hid in the parlor. All she had to do now was wait and hope her trap had worked.

It wasn't long before she heard the doors open. Maria hid behind the parlor door and waited. She heard the soft tap of his boots make his way to the piano room.

She peered out the door and silently followed to the piano room. Maria gawked. He was there, standing by the piano. He actually came. He stood with his back to the door, Maria's letter was in his hand. He was lost in his thoughts as he ran his hand over the dusty piano. Though she could not see his face, she felt his tension. He had yet to notice her and stood unaware of the moon princess that watching him by the door.

Robin shifted his head. He felt a little foolish being there. If Richard found out Robin was here, he would never let it go. When Robin first saw the letter, he made up his mind to ignore it. If Loveday and her family were only gone for the day, he didn't see why he had to spend his day watching over her. She had magic, she could defend herself. But then he remembered their fight, and how much of an arse he had been to David because of it. Now with all the mess of the escape, he felt a foreign feeling of care tug at his heart. After all, it was his guards who failed to properly secure Charles and Althea. Even if indirect, Robin was at fault too. Plus, it would make David happy to see Robin helping her out. She was his friend's friend. Robin decided that he had nothing to lose and accepted the task.

Maria pursed her lips and squared her shoulders. This was it. She had nothing left to lose. Just as Cat suggested, Maria ran with a battle cry and landed her hand on his back. Her plan was to bring Robin over, and trap him where he couldn't run. Then, focusing her thoughts and energy into the pearls, she was going to touch his back as she did with the guards to break the curse.

But she overestimated her force. Maria landed with all her weight on his back and pushed him forwards. Taken by surprise, the bird boy stumbled forwards and fell to his knees.

"Ey! What was that for?" He yelled over his shoulder, spotting the wide-eyed Merryweather. He thought they'd made peace. Was it all a ruse, was she planning to take him on now?

 _Guess that didn't work,_ Maria squeaked and followed Cat's second suggestion. She bopped him upside the head, hoping her moon magic would do the trick. The force knocked his bowler hat over his eyes and onto the floor.

"Oy, you little witch! I'm going to get you for that!"

Maria paled, _Oh no, that didn't work either._  Quick as a mouse, Maria turned on her heels and ran out the piano room.

"Merryweather, come back 'ere!" He spat behind her.

She ran for her life.

Maria turned down the hall and darted into the library, slamming the large doors behind her. She made a beeline past the couch and hid amongst one of the bookshelves towards the very back.

"You can't hide from me!" He shouted pushing the doors wide open. They hit against the walls with a force that vibrated through the room.

Over the cracks between the books, Maria spotted the De Noir. His charcoal-lined eyes were alive with a determined flame as they scanned the aisles.

"…Come out, come out, where ever you are, Moon Princess… I know you're in here."

Maria held her breath and backed peddled closer to the wall.

Robin quietly walked past the center of the library. She was watching him, he could feel her eyes on him. His hunter's instinct pushed him forwards, guiding him towards her like an invisible eye.

He was getting closer. Maria continued retreating until her back hit against a shelf. It groaned and rocked just ever so slightly.

 _Thud._ A book fell from the shivering shelf with a boom that echoed throughout. Maria cringed.

"A ha!" The De Noir ran towards her.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Maria grabbed a handful of books and tossed them at him, hoping to scare him off and block his path. He knocked each of the books to the side, growled, and lunged for Maria.

Maria screamed and ducked into another book aisle. She maneuvered towards the exit and made it out the doors. She skidded to the left and sprinted down the hall, huffing as her corset seemed to squeeze tighter on her lungs.

"Just wait till I get my hands on you!" She heard him shout behind her. He was catching up to her.

Maria screeched and pushed herself forwards.

"Digweed! Marmaduke! Wrolf! Help me, please!" Maria yelled, hoping one of them could hear her and come to her recuse.

Down in the kitchen, Digweed and Marmaduke were eating their roasted pot pie. Wrolf was sitting by Marmaduke's feet eating a lambchop. Maria's cries of help echoed in, distracting them from their food. Digweed and Wrolf jumped to their feet and ran towards the door, but Maramduke popped in front of them. He wore a mischievous smile and ushered them both back with his hands. "This is business they must be solving."

"But the misses," Digweed tried to protest.

"Rest assure the lad won't hurt her. If he does, I'll pop right at her side."

Back on the other side of the manor, Robin laughed. "They aren't here! No one can help you! I'll give you a reason to think twice before striking me behind my back!"

"I'm incredibly sorry!" Maria yelled behind her as she continued running. "I really truly am! I thought it would break the curse! It worked once before."

"Lies!"

"It's true! You'll see if you read my book!"

"It's too late Merryweather! Don't play with fire if you can't handle the flame!"

She slid around a corner towards another hallway and ran into the first room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Maria lunged for the bed, setting up a fortress of pillows around her. She was panting. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. She reached behind her and pulled at her bodice, loosening the restraints against her lungs. She heaved a large breath, feeling as though she had been submerged underwater and only just come up for air.

She was about to sit back against the bedframe but jumped in the air when the door knob started rattling.

"Merryweather! This door isn't enough to stop me! I'm a De Noir remember?"

Robin began to pick the lock. Maria shrieked and tried to hide under the bed, but her hooped skirt couldn't fit underneath. She groaned and lifted herself up. She made a mental note to ask Loveday for more dresses for Christmas.

Maria picked up a pillow and readied herself. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he was going to get.

With a battle cry Robin kicked the open. His fists were up in the air, ready to take on whatever was thrown at him.

Maria screamed and threw a pillow that struck Robin's face. She quickly picked up another for a shield and a candelabra for a sword and took a fighting stance.

Robin laughed as he strolled in, "who taught you to stand like that?"

"You!"

Robin's face fell, and he picked up the pillow Maria had tossed at him.

"Then it's a good thing I don't remember!"

Maria gasped. "Oh, you oaf! The Robin I knew was a thousand times better than you!" She tossed a candle with every word at his head. He dodged every one of them.

"No! He was a sap! A hopeless, lovestruck, weakling, balmy fool!"

"You take that back, you—you devil!"

"Is that the best you've got? I must've lost my mind for me to have fallen for you!"

"Oh, I'll show you!"

Maria grabbed the last pillow and hurled herself at Robin. She pounded him with the sack of feathers for all he was worth.

"Ahh!" Robin raised his hands in defense. He used his other one to smack her with a pillow he had picked off the ground. Maria reached for another candelabra, but Robin jumped in front of her and blocked her path.

Soon they were battling, using their pillows as both shields and swords.

Maria grew frustrated. Using all of her weight, she rammed him with her pillow and pushed him back against the wall.

"You, will never be half the man you used to be!" She spat, her eyes pierced into his soul.

Robin narrowed his eyes and scoffed, he lowered his face to her eye-level, until their noses were a mere inch from one another. "What makes you think I want to be? If I didn't know any better, I would almost say this only confirms you truly loved that oaf!" He huffed and pushed her back.

"Oof," she cried out, smacking his chest with the palms of her hand. She stepped back, her legs hit against the bed and she fell backwards. She grabbed on to Robin's jacket and pulled him down with her. They landed on the bed.

Robin was on top of her.

His heavy breathing fell on to her neck. She hated the butterflies in her stomach, they weren't meant for him. At least not who he was right now.

She felt his beating heart through his chest. She was trapped underneath him, his arms pressed against the bed on either side of her head. They were the only support keeping him from completely falling on to her. A heat of emotion soared from her stomach to her face. She turned a bright red, though the spark of anger remained lit in her eye.

Robin was at a loss. He felt his own ears grow warm. He wasn't quite sure what to do now that he had her pinned down. It seemed like time stood still as they stayed there, catching their breath. Staring at one another.

Maria finally broke the silence as she said between breaths, "Whatever feelings I had once before, are dimming with every day I spend with you."

Robin blinked as a hurt look passed through his eyes. Then his eyes darkened and narrowed, masking any possible feelings he could have. "Then why did you call me here?" He growled as he brought his face closer to hers.

Maria's chest rose and fell as she continued to catch her breath. It was a rhythmic roll against his body. His eyes glanced down at her lips, then scanned over Maria's soft, pale and freckled skin, before once more meeting her eyes. The passion in her eyes glowed like embers, a light that seemed to draw him in. There was so much hidden inside of her. Did she really have the answer to his lost memories?

A few curls fell in front of Robin's face, shielding his eyes. Maria raised her hand and gently brushed the strands away from his face. The warmth of her hand sent a shiver down his spine.

Searching Robin's eyes, she still saw the beautiful brown orbs that once held mischief and life, though they no longer held the tenderness they once used too. They were lost and vacant. She wondered if Richard was right. What if she had kissed him then, could that have saved him?

She traced the edges of his face, down his jaw, and over his chin. Her thumb brushed against his lips.

Robin blinked, confused, yet his body leaned closer.

Before she knew what, she was thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. Her lips found his and she kissed him. A soft, lingering kiss on his parted lips.

Robin panicked. His body froze yet his mind reared, demanding he push away, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. The void in the pit of his heart returned with a vengeance and ached to be filled. It ached for her. To bury himself in her love. At that second, he not only wished her feelings for Robin, the old Robin, were real. He wished they were for him.

Robin yielded. He let himself fall and melted against her hold. He returned her kisses and deepened it. Robin slid an arm to caress her side as he pressed himself into her. Maria squeaked with surprise and she inched herself back, giving him more room. She had no idea what she was doing, but she didn't want to stop. She let him take the lead.

Robin coiled an arm around her waist and tried to press her closer to him, but her hooped skirt acted like a barrier.  
Maria's hands traced up his neck and raked through his curls, knocking off his hat. He softly moaned into her lips. His lips then traveled down her cheek into her neck, and Maria whimpered at his soft pecks. Robin smiled and traced more kisses down her neck into her collarbone, each with more pressure before finally returning to her lips.

Suddenly, Robin's mind spun and flashed a scene.

— _He was back at the beach. Maria was in his arms. They were falling into the sand. Her eyes were filled with fear. The feint echo of her scream, she was screaming his name, rang in his ears. Suddenly he was shrouded in darkness as he heard Charles' and Althea's laughter overpower Maria's screams. —_

Robin cracked. He pulled himself off her. His eyes were wide with fear. He stepped back and grabbed at his hair, pulling it.  
"N—No," he gasped. "Stop!"

He walked back towards the door. He almost tripped over the pillows, but he regained his balance and continued stumbling away from her.

Maria tried to stop him, she wanted him to talk to her. Something had snapped. She felt it.

Robin shook his head. "P—Please, leave me alone!"

He grabbed his hat from the floor and ran out the manor. Maria followed but lost sight of him in the forest.

She crumpled down to the snowy floor, and let out a heaving sob.  _It didn't work_.


	7. Of Holiday's and Repercussions

Maria walked back to the manor in a daze. She wasn't wearing a coat. The mid-December air stiffened her hair and chilled her skin, yet she didn't notice. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"I'll be guessing your plans didn't turn out as expected?" Marmaduke asked, coming out of the kitchens.

Maria shook her head and sighed.

Marmaduke sighed as well. He took her by her hand and led her to her room. There was a warm kettle of tea, a cup of hot chocolate, and a batch of freshly baked cookies on her night stand. By the burning fireplace, there was a hot, steaming bath waiting for her. It smelled of rosemary and mint, exactly what she needed to fix her senses.

"Thank you, Marmaduke." She sounded glum and Marmaduke frowned.

"There's no need to thank me, it's the least I can do. You're always going out of your way to help us all," he said with a soft smile. "He will see that soon too. Just know princess, no matter what happened, or didn't, you did your best."

Maria slowly nodded.

"I'll be in the kitchens if you need me." Marmaduke patted her hand and disappeared with another pop.

Maria walked to the mirror and gasped. Her hair was a mess, loose curls fell randomly out of her up-do. Her bodice was skewed to the side and her lips were raw. She was embarrassed at her state and felt a new appreciation for Marmaduke, to see her like this and not make a judgement.

 _No… That can't be…_ Maria walked closer to her mirror and gulped. She had never seen them before, but she heard rumors. The girls at school spoke of such marks visible on…. _fallen women._  
A trail of faint red spots traced down from her neck to her collarbone. She thought of Robin's kisses and felt her stomach do a sickly somersault. Maria panicked and tried to wipe them away, but the more she rubbed, the redder they became.

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no!_ She shook off her clothes and tossed them to the floor. She jumped into her tub and hoped the hot water would help her. Maria rubbed her head. Despite the sweet-smelling water and crackling fireplace, she could not relax. In fact, she felt worst. Was this the start of her end?  
 _I kissed Robin._  
I kissed Robin De Noir.  
Then he ran away.

He refused to talk to her. Did he think low of her actions, is that why he left? Maria wanted to die from embarrassment. She hid her face in her hands.  _What will he think of me?_  
Maria groaned. What if Robin were to tell what she did? Her uncle would be furious. Mrs. Heliotrope would be disappointed. Her reputation, it would be ruined! She sunk lower into her tub and for a second, wondered if drowning would be a sweet release from her stupidity and impropriety.  
Tears began to spill from her eyes into the bath with a faint plop. As much as she tried, she couldn't stop crying. She felt so vulnerable and ashamed. She had kissed Robin De Noir, she had failed to break his curse, and now, he would probably think the worst of her.

Resting her head against the tub, Maria closed her eyes and hoped that when she woke up, this would all be another bad dream she didn't remember.

* * *

Robin burst into his room. He dove into his bed.  _What the hell just happened?_ One moment, he's chasing the girl. The next they're kissing. Now, he's seeing visions and his back's burning.

Robin took off his jacket and shirt, then went to the mirror. He inspected his back, his scar still looked the same, but it was throbbing and sending waves of heat through his spine.

He turned to face the mirror. His hair was a mess, and his lips were swollen. She had kissed him, but why?  _Bloody hell, she kissed me._

_She._

_Kissed._

_Me._

_And it was a damn good kiss._ Robin leaned against the wall and ran his hand down his face in disbelief.

Did she really have feelings for him? Or was it just an attempt to get his memories back? What was going on?

Robin went back into his room and paced around his bed. He didn't know what to do. His heart felt like it just ran a mile and his thoughts didn't show any sign of slowing down. He was a mess, and it was all because of Maria Merryweather, the Moon Princess.

He spotted his stack of books. Grabbing Maria's Moonacre book, he tossed it to his bed and paced around it.

Robin readied himself. If the book was cursed... well he was already cursed…it couldn't get any worst, right?

He inched closer. Just as he opened the book, he jumped back, expecting some violent spell or gust of wind.

Nothing happened.

Robin released a sigh of relief and sat on his bed. He turned the book to the first page and began to read it.

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

"Maria, are you in there?" Mrs. Heliotrope said from the other side of the door.

Maria shook herself awake. She was still in her tub. The water was now a lukewarm temperature and her fireplace had dimmed to a mere glow. She sighed, it had not been a dream. This was her reality.  _At least Albert and my family are safe, things could be worst, right?_ Maria tried to comfort herself.

"Yes, Ms. Heliotrope! I'm taking a bath."

"With this weather? Goodness, you're bound to catch a cold! Hurry on up dear and come join us for supper."

Maria dried herself off and looked in the mirror.  _Oh no, it's worst!_ The red spots on her neck were now a faint red and blue, and getting darker by the hour. They were bruising! She tried covering them with her powder, but it didn't help. The powder was translucent and instead, seemed to bring out the bruises more. Maria wanted to cry. How could this have all gone so horribly wrong?  
 _Thank goodness it was just a kiss and not more,_ a voice whispered in her head, causing her to turn bright red. Maria shoved the thoughts aside and worked to make herself presentable.

She quickly dressed in a pink gown. She opened her wardrobe and searched for her thickest scarf. It was a mustard yellow knitted scarf that clashed horribly with her pink dress, but at least it covered her neck and chest.

Maria went downstairs and joined her family for dinner. Though Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope eagerly told Maria about the trip, she hardly paid attention. She really tried not to think of it, but her thoughts kept bringing up the kiss. She couldn't stop thinking of it.

"Maria are you alright, dear?" Loveday asked.

"Oh, goodness you must have a fever! You're red." Mrs. Heliotrope rushed to her and touched her forehead. "Child, you're burning up."

But it was not a fever. She couldn't look Mrs. Heliotrope in the eye. She was afraid her indiscretion would be visible for all to see.

That night, worried about her pupil's health, Mrs. Heliotrope sent Maria to her room with dinner. There she changed into her night clothes and laid in bed. She stared at her ceiling, wondering what she had to do next. She had no clue. With every minute she hated herself more. She hated the spots on her neck. She hated that he left without a word. She hated that the kiss didn't work. But most of all, she hated how much she had enjoyed their kiss, how much she wanted to see him, she hated that a part of her wanted to find him and kiss him again. She turned and stared out her balcony windows, wondering what he was doing at the moment. Was he thinking of her too?

* * *

"Ey you twat!" Richard yelled through Robin's door. "You missed dinner again. Your father sent your food! Open up!"

Richard waited a few seconds before realizing that Robin wasn't going to answer. Testing the knob, Richard was surprised to find his door unlocked.

He came in and laughed. Robin was asleep in only his trousers and drooling into his pillow. His room was freezing! Richard set Robin's plate down and lit the fireplace to a burning blaze, trying to be as loud as possible. Finally, Robin began to wake. Richard then spotted Maria's open book, squished underneath Robin's torso.  
"Well I'll be! The oaf did his reading, at last," Richard leered. "Though unless I'm mistaken, reading works best when you're awake."

"Sod off," Robin muttered as he sat up on the bed. He wiped his mouth and reached for his bread roll. Before he could grab it, Richard smacked his hand and said: "Eh—eh—eh, sharing is caring!" Richard tore off a piece of bread and tossed the rest to Robin.

"That's my dinner," Robin mumbled.

"Consider it payment for my delivery. Had a good sleep? You look like a mess."

Robin shrugged his shoulders as he continued stuffing his face with food.

"Why'd you finally read the book?"

Robin froze. He looked for an excuse, but instead of words, bread crumbs rolled out of his mouth.

Richard narrowed his eyes and he smiled slyly. "You were gone this afternoon. Where were you?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. He was better off silent.

"I know for a fact Mr. De Noir was heading to Silverydew with the Merryweathers… I doubt you tagged along…." Richard got up his seat and began pacing. He then took off his hat and ruffled his hair so that his fohawk now fell around his eyes. "What would Henry say…" Richard began impersonating him. "I'll take a while guess, you saw Maria?"

Robin choked on his food and started coughing.

"Aha! What happened?"

Robin shook his head. He refused to answer. "Aww come on mate!"

Robin turned away and continued eating his meal.

"If you don't spill, I'll call the boys."

Robin shrugged his shoulders and Richard groaned. He walked around the bed to face Robin, but Robin just turned once more, giving Richard his back.

"You know what, it doesn't matter. I'll just see for myself!" With an evil laugh, Richard lunged for the Moonacre book and pulled it out from under Robin.

"Give that back!" Robin yelled tossing his plate to the side and going after Richard. It was too late. Richard's eyes almost bulged out of his head and his mouth dropped wide open as he gawked at the illustrations before him. It was Robin kissing Maria.

"Blimey, you two kissed!" Turning another page, he added, "Bloody hell, you didn't just kiss her, you snogged her!"

Robin angrily tossed a pillow at Richard and yanked the book from his grip. "None of your bloody business."

"Oh, but it is! I gave Maria the idea, and judging from those pictures, you enjoyed it! You should be thanking me!" Richard said haughtily as he readjusted his hair.

"The hell I'll do that! You better not speak a word of this or I'll kill you!"

"A gentleman never spills—speaking of which, I'll give you credit, nicely done. So, did it work? Do you remember?"

Robin winced. "Honestly, I don't know. I saw something. Seems to match the part where Althea cursed me, but that's it."

"Damn, well it was worth a shot. So, spill, tell me what happened! I already saw."

Robin sighed and briefly summarized his encounter to Richard.

"And you left her, just like that?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Can you get any stupider?" Richard smacked Robin behind the head. "Could you imagine what she's feeling right now? Robin, she is a highbred lady. Kisses mean a lot to them— trust me, I would know. Judging from Cat's outburst, this was her first kiss too and blimey Robin, did you take it too far. Then, to just get on up and leave her like that, she must be confused and losing her head!"

" _I'm_  losing my head! Besides, it was her idea to kiss me!"

"Like you weren't thinking it! —"

"—No! —"

"Then why in God's name didn't you get off her in the first place? Why didn't you stop it from the beginning? Why did you—"

"Alright, alright, I get it."

"You wanted it."

Robin rolled his eyes and punched Richard in the arm. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Well let's see..." Richard began counting off his fingers as Robin answered him. "Has Maria ever tried to bewitch you?"

"No."

"Has she tried to hurt you in any way?"

"No."

"Have you found any lies in what she's said?"

"No."

"Have any of us done anything to merit your distrust?"

"…No." Robin was beginning to see where this was going.

"Good. Then first, stop being a blasted bastard with a stick up your arse, we're all tired of it. Maybe that's why you can't get any memories, the stick's traveled too far up into your head."

* * *

Christmas was just around the corner and the manor was alive with excitement, well everyone except for Maria. All she could think about was that she would have to see Robin again— that's if he came to the celebration.

To keep herself from thinking of him, she decorated their Christmas tree with Albert and helped Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope decorate the manor. She also helped Sir Benjamin ready the library and had to fumble for an excuse when he asked why there were books thrown on the ground. Once the inside was ready, she rushed outside to help Digweed decorate the gardens. The rest of the household was reluctant to step out into the cold. Maria, however, was quite warm underneath her large yellow scarf. Many times, Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope tried to take it from her, they insisted Maria wear her newer, more fashionable scarves. But as long as her bruises remained, fashion would have to wait.  
Albert too did his best to help and tested Sir Benjamin's patience along the way. Up until Maria's arrival, Sir Benjamin didn't celebrate Christmas. But since Loveday moved in and the two families united, a Christmas feast became a tradition.  
When Albert broke a couple of family heirloom ornaments, Sir Benjamin turned red in the face and left the room to cool off. Albert tried to fix them but was left heartbroken when Loveday explained the ornaments could not be repaired.

Once she ran out of chores, Maria locked herself in her room to wrap her family's gifts. She bought Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope a new hat, gloves, and parasol. She bought Sir Benjamin a new ledger and stationary set, Albert new toys, Digweed a new hat and gloves, and Marmaduke a book of recipes from around the world. As she was rummaging through her desk and drawer for wrapping paper, she found an old and dusty package. It was the knife sheath she bought for Robin her first year away at school. She held it in her hands as she sat down on her bed. She felt the familiar flutter in her stomach, her thoughts once more straying to their kiss.

 _No Maria! You mustn't think such thoughts!_ But she couldn't help it. She sighed and rested her arms and head on her desk.  _What's the point!_ Maria had to admit it, she missed Robin, her Robin.  
Maria raised her head and inspected her neck in the mirror. She felt the new knot of emotion settle in the pit of her stomach as she thought of how he had kissed her.

"Maria, are you in here?"

"Loveday?" Maria asked snapping out of her thoughts.

"Yes dear, you've been distracted since we returned from Silverydew. May I come in?"

"In a minute!" Maria rushed from her seat and hid all her gifts. Then she hastily wrapped her neck in the yellow scarf she was growing to hate.

Maria opened the door and Loveday came in. She shivered, Maria's room was cold. Loveday added more wood to the fireplace, then she lit the lamp by Maria's bed and sat down next to her. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, "Good, your fever's down."

"Yes, I seem to be feeling better."

"Perfect, I can't wait until you come back to us. We really miss you. I miss you."

Maria smiled and leaned against Loveday

"Have you by any chance, made a breakthrough with my brother?"

Maria looked down at her hands and vigorously shook her head.

"Oh well. Nothing to be done. I was hoping with the holidays you two would finally make progress. I miss him." Loveday sighed.

Maria was beginning to feel a tinge of guilt.

"Maria, I hope you know how much we admire you. You've been so brave and valiant. You have maintained your values and stuck with your instinct. Whatever happens, you will always have your family here to support you."

Maria nodded her head.

"Are you sure you alright? You've been awfully quiet. You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?"

Maria's eyes began to water, but she continued nodding her head.

"Goodness Maria, what is wrong? Is it Robin? Did something happen while you were visiting Jane? Oh, I was worried something would happen!"

"Nothing happened in Bristol."

"Then why are you crying? Maria, please talk to me. Did something happen here?"

Maria began to turn red.

"Oh dear, you're burning up! Maria, you must take off your scarf."

But despite the heat, she shook her head and covered herself up with her blankets. Loveday tried to pry the yellow scarf from Maria's hands, but she held on tight.

"Maria, why won't you let go? What is going on?"

"I don't want to be a fallen woman!" Maria wailed.

Loveday looked taken aback. "Excuse me! Maria what?"

Maria shamefully took off her scarf and revealed her bruises. Loveday started laughing. "Oh dear. My goodness! Is that what you've been trying to hide?"

Maria nodded her head.

Loveday paused. Her hand rushed to her mouth as her eyes opened wide.  
"Oh my goodness!  
Oh my, did Robin do that?"

Maria timidly nodded yes. Her eyes still furiously looking at her hands.

"What happened?"

Maria fell back into her bed and recounted her encounter with Robin, all the while hiding her face underneath her pillow

Loveday squealed and laughed. She pulled Maria up, then hugged and shook her. "I knew you two still had feelings for one another! I knew Robin fancied you!" Then gently taking her face into her hands, Loveday inspected Maria's neck. "Goodness, there was quite a bit of passion in that kiss, wasn't there?"

Maria squeaked and hid her face with her hand.

"Maria, it's ok," Loveday said removing her hands. "Why are you so upset? Did he hurt you? Did he do something you weren't comfortable with, tell me and I'll deal with him personally!"

"No, no, it's not that! It's just these marks… they're the marks of fallen women…" Maria finished in a whisper.

Loveday laughed, "Who told you that nonsense?"

"It's true! It's what the girls at school say!"

Loveday sighed and shook her head. She inched closer and placed an arm around Maria as she brought her close. "Maria, yes I'll admit those bruises, or love bites as some affectionally call them, are looked down upon… But there may be instances where that can't be helped."

"What do mean?"

Loveday scratched her head as her cheeks began to turn a light pink, "You are a young lady. There will be certain… situations where some feelings will get the best of you, but that doesn't mean you've fallen! I myself know that too well… you see how your uncle and I fight, we can get very passionate about our disagreements. Well, that passion manifests itself in kisses too, in fact, before your uncle and I married there was this instance—"

"—Ew Loveday that's my uncle, I don't want to know!"

Loveday laughed, and she covered her face. "Maria, you know how much I despise London's fashion. Yet I too have had to resort to high collared dresses when things have gotten out of hand."

Maria began to cry again. "What am I supposed to do then? I don't have such dresses, and I don't ever want to need such dresses! I just wanted to get his memories and now I can't get that stupid kiss out of my head."

"Must have been a good kiss…"

"Loveday I'm serious!"

"So am I Maria! But, alright, if this ever happens again—"

"It won't!"

" _If._ If, it ever happens again, you must place something cold over the bruises. They may have worsened with all your rubbing and the hot bath. Wait here."

Maria sniffed and nodded her head. She was feeling much better. It wasn't long before Loveday came back with a packed snowball wrapped in a rag.

"Here you go. At this point, it will not make them disappear, but it will help lighten them." While Maria pressed the ice to her neck, Loveday proceeded to tell Maria about all that she should do,  _if_ her emotions were to get the best of her, or  _if_  she were to be in that predicament ever again.

...oOo...

On Christmas morning Maria jumped out of bed, threw on her robe, and wrapped her neck in a pretty blue scarf that Loveday gave her. She wasn't too worried about hiding it anymore, the bruises had dulled to a light purple. Though still noticeable, she didn't need the ugly yellow scarf.  
She ran down her tower and up to Albert where they played by the fireplace. After breakfast, she and Albert got to open one gift each. The rest would have to wait until the De Noirs arrived. Maria chose the largest box from Loveday and Sir Benjamin that contained an assortment of clothing for her. There were three beautiful dresses, a blue, green, and burgundy colored one. The burgundy and green ones were velvety and of the style that Loveday wore. The blue one was a hooped grown, however, it came with two bodices. One was a matching blue with a sweetheart neckline, and the other was a white high-collared blouse. Maria scowled at the wink that Loveday gave her over Sir Benjamin's shoulder.  
There was also a long ivory cloak and matching gloves and scarf that were lined with wool and fur on the inside. After thanking them, she rushed to her room and changed into her new green dress and new cloak, scarf, and mittens to keep herself warm.

As Maria and Albert spent a day playing in the snow with their family, a carriage led by black stallions pulled up.  
Maria tensed, and her stomach flipped. Coeur, Mr. Havisham, and Robin dismounted from the carriage. Robin was formally dressed in black slacks, a black dress shirt, and his leather jacket. Robin caught Maria staring, but before he could gauge her feelings, she looked away. Maria took Albert by his hand and they walked over to the De Noirs. She greeted her family, but when it was her turn to greet Robin, she averted her eyes to the ground and dropped a short curtsy.

Robin was left wondering why she refused to look at him. Was she mad at him for leaving? Or perhaps, disgusted at their kiss?

Maria and Robin were seated next to one another, tension oozed between them. This made for a quiet dinner. Sir Benjamin and Loveday didn't mind their silence, they were just happy neither was trying to kill one another.

Maria was very conscious of their proximity. When her hand brushed against his, or her knee bumped his thigh, Maria would quickly retract until she sat like a stiff statue, barely nibbling at her food to keep herself from accidentally contacting him.

Robin frowned and threw quick side glances though dinner. Maria seemed upset and refused to look anywhere else but the plate in front of her.

Albert soon grew tired of his food and whined until he was allowed to roam free. He walked over to Robin and reached out his arms. With a soft chuckle, Robin lifted him into his lap. Much to everyone's amusement, Albert rummaged Robin's torso, searching for his feathered scarf. When he couldn't find it, he whined and asked to sit on Maria's lap, which she was happy to oblige. Nestled close to her, Albert began to play with her scarf. Unfortunately for Maria, Albert was determined to stuff his mouth with her soft scarf. It became a battle between nephew and aunt, both refusing to let go. Feeling bad for her, Robin tried to help her out. The scarf loosened and fell to her lap. Maria panicked and placed Albert on Robin's lap so that she could fix her scarf. She didn't want Robin to see the repercussions of their kiss. That would be too humiliating. But it was too late.

Robin stared at her neck with wide eyes.

"Did I do th—ow!" Robin cried out as he was kicked under the table by Maria, who was now an angry red.

"Do what Robin?" Loveday asked with a sly smile.

"N—Nothing," Robin stuttered casting Maria a sorry look, but Maria paid no attention. She was busy glowering into her plate as her hands strangled her utensils.

"Goodness Maria, if that isn't the most persistent fever I ever saw." Mrs. Heliotrope said. "You look about ready to burst."

Maria just turned redder.

"Heavens dear, you must be burning up with that scarf, you should take it off."

Maria's eyes widened, and she faked a few, weak coughs.  
"I'm fine Mrs. Heliotrope. I'm cold and my throat hurts." Maria lied. She was burning inside, both from the warmth of the room and heat of embarrassment. Maria quickly finished her food and excused herself to go to the room to 'recover'.

There she locked her door, took off her scarf, and tossed it to the floor. She stayed in her room all night, not even coming out to open presents.

...oOo...

By New Year's Eve, Maria's neck had fully healed and she was determined to make the most of it. This year, Mr. De Noir was throwing a large New Year's Eve celebration at the De Noir castle and Maria was on a mission. She was going to sneak out of the festivities to find Althea and make her answer some questions. Changing into her new burgundy dress from Loveday, Maria put on her white cloak, mittens, and scarf, and grabbed Robin's gift from her desk. She didn't have the chance to give it to him on Christmas since she refused to leave her room, but this time, she would. Maria stuffed it into her purse, and once evening came about, she and her family left to the party.

The New Year's Eve Celebration was in full swing when Maria and her family arrived. They were quickly ushered through the gates and into the great hall where a large buffet of food and drink was laid out for all to enjoy. Maria greeted Mr. De Noir and guests, then had a late dinner while she chatted with her family.  
As the clock struck close to midnight, Maria drank her last bit of wine. Brimming with confidence and determination, she quietly snuck back out of the great hall. Her family was too distracted speaking with the De Noirs. She had yet to see Robin or his friends, but she preferred it that way. They would all try to stop her. Unbeknownst to Maria, Robin was watching her from afar.

It wasn't hard to miss the entourage of colorful Merryweathers enter the party. Everyone else always remained in their dark colors of red or black, but the Merryweathers, especially the ladies, were dressed in the ever-changing pastel colors of London.

When they first entered, Robin spotted Maria trailing behind her family and his mind went blank. She looked ethereal in her white cloak and red dress. Her long copper curls framed her body and fell down to her waist. Leaning against the pillar, under its shadows, Robin stopped to admire her. He couldn't do so on Christmas. Sir Benjamin kept a close eye on him and whenever his eyes strayed to the princess beside him, Sir Benjamin would make a loud noise and lock eyes with the De Noir boy. Then she left after dinner.  
Robin noticed the white scarf wrapped around her neck and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Richard was right, he did take it too far. But at the moment, when she was wrapped in his arms, all he could think about was that he felt warmth and at home. For those brief seconds, he wasn't lost or confused. His heart no longer ached for something, like she was all he ever needed.

But this evening, he had yet to be spotted. His friends were out at the bar drinking, and his family was busy hosting guests. As Mr. De Noir's son, Robin was technically required to run around and check on their guests. He, however, shirked his obligations and found a quiet and secluded spot where Robin could drink in peace and comfortably observe the girl, who according to the book, had once been a great friend. He was sure her kiss did something to him. Since then, his dreams were plagued by scenes of him and Maria together. Some of which matched those in the book. Others, however, he was sure was just his head running off with his imagination and wishing to have her once more in his arms.

When Robin pulled himself from his thoughts, he couldn't find Maria. She had disappeared. Robin's face fell. He swirled his chalice before downing it in one gulp. He knew where she was going.

Giddy with excitement and buzzing from the wine, Maria covered herself with her hood and searched for the dungeons. Walking through it's darke stone walls, she felt as though she were on a great adventure, exploring an old castle for some treasure. As she rounded the corner, she came across a familiar black cat. He sat in the middle of the corridor, as though waiting for her.

"Zachariah! It's been so long, what are you doing here?"

Zachariah twitched his tail. After stretching into the air, he turned and walked down the corridor, as though leading her way. Having once been a reluctant resident of the dungeons, she knew just where to go, but she was happy for the company.

At the entrance, Zachariah rubbed against her leg and then pushed open the door. Maria was about to follow when a guard came hobbling out the darkness and blocked her path.

"State your purpose," the guard commanded.

"Good Evening, I'm Maria Merryweather and I am here to speak with Althea."

The guard shifted his eyes with a worried look. "Erm, do you have an appointment?"

Maria frowned, "I don't mean to sound so impolite, but I don't believe I need one."

"I'm afraid I can't let you pass."

"Why not?"

"The prisoners are busy at the moment."

"Busy doing what?"

The guard stumbled for an excuse. He had strict orders not to reveal the prisoners escaped to the Moon Princess or let her down to the dungeons. Finally, he blurted, "The boss won't allow it!"

"Please, I must talk to that creature! I need to figure out how to get Robin's memories back."

"I'm sorry miss, but bosses order."

Maria scowled and crossed her arms, "Who, Mr. De Noir? Trust me, he won't mind. It's for his son's own good."

"My orders," Robin said coming down the stairs. Like on Christmas day, he was dressed formally and without his bowler hat or scarf. His curls were combed back, revealing his shapely face and dark eyes. "You're not allowed down here Maria, it's for your own safety." Then turning to the guard, he said: "Thank you."

Maria huffed, "I can take care of myself."

Robin ignored her and instead gestured towards the exit, "Please, let's go. The party is upstairs."

"No. I want to speak to Althea and Charles."

Behind Maria, the guard chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

Robin groaned and scratched his head. Muttering a quick sorry, he lifted her from her waist and threw her over his shoulder. His march back upstairs was accompanied by her screaming and hitting his back.

"Put me down, you oaf! I hate it when you carry me like this!"

"I know."

Maria stopped and looked over her shoulder at the back of his head. "You do?"

"I read the book," He stated with a casual shrug.

Maria's brow creased. She yelped as she was tossed back over his shoulder and landed in Robin's arms. One arm was under her legs, and the other one was supporting her back.

"Is this better?" He asked, his eyes still fixed up ahead.

Maria pursed her lip and muttered, "Yes. But I can walk myself." Her stomach fluttered, and her eyes scanned his soft lips, now pursed with determination. Maria's cheeks began to warm, and she focused on a black button of his shirt.

"Don't trust you. You might just stun me and run back down there."

Maria huffed once more and let herself be carried. There was no use in arguing, he would probably find another way to stop her. She wrapped her arms around his neck to help him out. Robin tried to ignore the skip in his heartbeat and the scent of her sweet-smelling perfume.

"I ran into Zachariah earlier, why is he here?" She asked Robin.

"We don't do much trading over the winter. When Harold and Luke return, they bring Zachariah along with them."

"Well Zachariah wanted me to go down there, he was leading the way."

"You can't go down it's too dangerous."

"Robin De Noir, you know more than anyone I can take care of myself!"

Robin smirked, "like you did with the pillows? I seemed to recall your fighting stance needed more work."

"Unfortunately, a particular birdbrain promised to teach me, but he hasn't been very good at keeping his promises. With my magic, I may not need to learn hand-to-hand combat."

Robin's arms tightened around her, bringing her closer to him. "Maria that is exactly why we can't let you be alone with Althea. You are the last line of defense against her. We can't risk losing you. Even I'm not allowed down there. Heard Mr. Havisham and Henry say they're worried I may be  _compromised._ " He rolled his eyes.

"…but I want to get your memories back…"

Robin was sure he heard her voice drop to a whimper at the end. He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to respond.

"Why did you leave Robin, what happened? I felt something."

Reaching the outside of the great hall, Robin gently set her down. He pulled away, leaving Maria feeling cold.  
With the little dignity she had left, Maria straightened herself out. She put down her hood, then took off her scarf and mittens and stuffed them into her purse. She didn't notice Robin's watchful inspection of her neck, she was still waiting for his response.

"I saw something. I saw us falling after Althea cursed me."

"Oh," Maria responded. "...Does that mean it worked?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pocket. "I don't know. Since then, my dreams have been strange." Robin glanced at Maria's lips, then her neck. He felt his stomach do a flip and shook himself out of those thoughts.

Maria sighed and looked crestfallen. It had been worth a shot, but she didn't think it worked. Or so not how it was intended. She was sure this was because he didn't truly love her. How could she even expect that of him? It's not like she was sure he even loved her before he lost his memories. With another sigh, Maria took out Robin's gift and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas."

Robin looked at her confused and hesitantly took the gift.

"Don't worry, it's not cursed," She added.

"But Christmas passed…"

"Yes, well due to my wardrobe malfunction, I was not able to attend the rest of the dinner. I actually bought this for you three years ago, but you were so determined to avoid me, I never got a chance to give it to you. I doubt that bit was in the book. Moonacre's book only records events related to its magic here."

Robin opened the gift and found a beautiful scarlet dyed leather sheath, perfect for his curved blade. "Thanks, it's great. I'm sorry I don't have anything for you."

Maria gave a small smile and shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't expect anything." Though getting his memories would have been the perfect gift. She began to open the doors when Robin stopped her and asked, "About Christmas, are you feeling better?"

Maria looked at the floor and mumbled, ''I was never sick."

Robin winced, "I'm sorry about your neck."

Maria turned a dark shade of red. She nodded, accepting his apology while fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. "I'm sorry for attacking you. I didn't mean to push you so hard."

An awkward silence fell upon them.

"I should go."

"Wait, Maria." Robin took a hold of her hand.

"Is it true? Were we really friends?"

"Yes," Maria said with a sad smile.

"And the kiss?"

Maria laughed from embarrassment. She pulled her hand away and fidgeted with her hair while rocking on her toes. "It was Richard's and David's idea. They really want their friend back. I'm sorry if it was too forwards. I—I was only trying to help, though it seems it didn't work as I expected…I think it was the shock from the kiss that jostled your memories more than the kiss itself…. But don't worry, it was a onetime thing. I won't attack you again—"

"— So you were willing to give me your first kiss, on the chance that I may get my memories, even after how I've treated you?"

Maria softly laughed once more, beginning to feel her eyes water, and nodded her head. "You were one of my greatest friends and meant, mean a lot to me. I would have done anything, just as you have done for me before."

Just then the clock struck midnight. From inside the great hall, they heard the guests ring their own bells and wish one another a Happy New Years.

Maria uttered a quick "Happy New Years" and hurried to run away back to the party, not trusting herself and her feelings to be alone with him another minute.

Perhaps it was the liquor coursing through his veins from his quickly beating heart, or perhaps it was her words said with so much love and pain, but Robin decided then and there he didn't want it to be a onetime thing. He wanted to fight for his memories. Looking at Maria, he realized even if he never got them back, he wanted to make new memories with her. His chest swelled and he made up his mind, he wanted to fight for her.

Before she could rush away from him. Robin pulled her into his arms. Maria stared up at him in bewilderment. Her breathing hitched. Her mind worked furiously to understand what was happening. Before she could comprehend, he brought her close and wrapped his arms around her hips in the bend of her waist.

"Happy New Years," he whispered and kissed her soft red lips.

Maria squeaked from surprise. She tensed but then closed her eyes and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Though she still felt clumsy and knew she would never hear the end of this from Loveday, she let Robin move them to a dark and secluded corner of the corridor, hidden behind a statue and tapestry.


	8. A Promise Overdue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-- UPDATE 02/04/2018-- Hi All, unfortunately, I will have to take a brief hiatus from writing. I'm graduating from college this year and to do so I need to complete a sort of research thesis for my engineering degree. Well..... UGH..... My professor needs me to present at a conference this March, and well they have been on my case making sure my project is at the level it needs to be. So ... That means I may not be able to write until afterwards. I am very sorry :( I always told myself I never wanted to just leave a story as it is, not only is it frustrating to you all, but it also means I may lose your attention. But I also don't want to betray you all and leave you readers hanging. I know many of you are guests and don't have accounts, which is why I try to push myself to publish by deadlines, but this school year has been kicking my butt and dragging me through the mud. I am very sorry, especially that I don't know when I'll put up the next chapter. :(

Chapter 8:

Where their first kiss was driven by a desperate search and longing, their second kiss was affectionate and tender. His lips were faithful, not once straying from hers as he peppered her with soft kisses. His hands were loyal to her waist, keeping her close and their bodies steady. His senses were devoted to her, inhaling her sweet perfume and savoring her soft and plump lips.  
She found herself relaxing into his hold, content in his arms. She absorbed his body's warmth as she was pressed against the cold stone wall. Her hands stroked his soft mane of curls and she felt his smile press into her lips.

It seemed too soon that she pulled away for a breath of air. A shy giggle escaped her, ending with a sigh as she rested her head on his chest,  _a second kiss_ …

Though she relished the comfort of their silence, hope fueled her curiosity, "Did you remember?"

Robin's hold slackened. He solemnly shook his head no.

Maria forced a small smile, trying to mask the sinking feeling in her heart. Unsure of what to do, she slid her hands down his chest and fidgeted with a button on his shirt.

Robin's heart twisted, disappointed with himself. The empty void ached his chest. It reached out, wishing to have his memories, wishing to have her.  
But he didn't want to pressure her. He didn't want to push her away or scare her. Feeling like he already used up his luck, Robin fell against the wall, pulling away from Maria.  
He looked to the floor and Maria felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Who was she to feel disappointed when it was Robin suffering the most?

She tentatively inched closer. Standing in front of him, she put a finger under his chin and gently turned his face towards her.  
"Don't worry, they'll come back."

A corner of Robin's mouth twitched. "What if they don't?"

"Then, we'll make new ones."

Robin nodded to Maria, not feeling hopeful but not wanting to disappoint her anymore.

An unwelcomed silence surrounded them. Maria bit her lip and peaked outside of the tapestry, inspecting the corridor. Though her conscious warned she had been gone for too long, she didn't want to leave his company. Instead, Maria looked around them, wanting to lighten the mood. "I can't imagine how it feels…living without your memories… having so many unanswered questions…. snogging a stranger…."

Robin's eyes widened, and his laugh got caught amidst a coughing fit. His face turned red as he struggled to regain himself, he didn't expect that tease from her. Robin hit his chest and forced his words out of his beating chest.  
"Yes, erm, well once you get used to the secrets and meetings going on behind your back it's not too bad," He said looking at his hands. He clenched his fists and looked up, a grave mistake. Maria's beautiful brown eyes stared back at him, brimming with a hopeful mirth. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips plump from his kisses. He felt his heart and stomach twist, doing barrel rolls. Robin forced his thoughts steady, but he couldn't pull his eyes from her and he began to stutter. Robin bit his cheek, he was sobering up and desperately wanted another drink.  _Get it together Robin,_ he commanded himself. "Besides, when your stranger happens to be a great kisser, it's not so bad…."  
Robin wanted to groan. Did he really just say that? Robin pulled his eyes away from her and stared furiously at the floor, well there was no turning back. He tried to salvage the conversation and mumbled, "And it doesn't feel like you're stranger— at least not much anymore…"

Maria held her breath. Her head was spinning, trying to capture his words. Her smile grew and spread to Robin like a warm summer's day. Before she could respond, the great hall doors burst open. Sir Benjamin and Mrs. Heliotrope rushed out in search for her, shouting her name. Loveday and Mr. De Noir followed searching for Robin. The two families were afraid Maria had gone down to the dungeons, or that Robin had hurt her. So desperate were they in their search, they failed to notice the shaking tapestry by the doors.

Maria was giggling. First at her family, and then at Robin as he failed to quiet her. He moved her close to the wall, trying to reduce her contact with the tapestry. Her giggling grew louder, and Maria squeezed her stomach, trying to hold back the laughter ready to burst within. Robin began to snicker and covered Maria's mouth. He shot her a warning look.

"Maria stop, they'll hear you!" He pleaded with a whisper.

"I can't," Maria heaved in between breaths.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "Then you leave me no choice. I'll have to quiet you with kisses and hope we don't get caught."

Maria's eyes widened, and she clamped her mouth shut. Her family's cries faded, and Robin peaked out of the tapestry. Ensuring the corridor was clear, he quietly pulled Maria out by her hand. They adjusted themselves and Maria was the first to sneak into the great hall. She made her way to the buffet table. A few minutes later, Robin joined her.

When her family returned in a frenzy, they were shocked to find Maria and Robin having a drink, talking amicably. Ever observant, Loveday didn't miss their flushed cheeks. She bit her grin and gave Maria a knowing wink. Mrs. Heliotrope was just happy Maria was safe and unharmed.  
Though they insisted they had always been at the party chatting away, Sir Benjamin wasn't taking the bait. He wasn't sure what transpired between the two but considering that only a week ago they refused to talk to one another, he was certain something did. Something, which he had a feeling, he would not approve of.

"Robin, I need to speak with you outside," Sir Benjamin commanded rather gruffly. He moved stiffly through the lively guests. Robin followed, the joy he felt from being with Maria sunk with each step.

Once the doors shut behind them, Sir Benjamin turned on Robin and growled, "Why the sudden change in heart?"

Robin swallowed, "What do you mean?"

"It was only a few weeks ago you couldn't even stand the thought of Maria! And suddenly, today, you two disappear and come back talking as though friends! Before you go back inside, you will tell me, what are your intentions with Maria? Why the sudden friendliness! Did you get your memories back?"

Robin stammered, "N—no…". He didn't know what to say. He wasn't about to tell Sir Benjamin he had just finished snogging his niece.

"Then did your cousin set you up to this? Are you trying to finish her off for Althea, or take her pearls? What are your intentions?" His eyes bore into Robin, looking for—no expecting him to lie.

Robin balked. "No, Sir Benjamin! No one set me up for this! I mean her no harm!"

"Then where were you two! Does she know Althea has escaped, did she go down to the dungeons?"

"N—no! She doesn't know anything, w—we were, erm, just talking—nothing happened."

"Don't you dare falter on me boy," Sir Benjamin grabbed Robin by the shoulders. "I've already lost her father, who despite his stupidity and irresponsibility was still my brother. I will not lose my niece too!"

Robin paled. Sir Benjamin was serious, he had never been more afraid of that man. He tried to defend himself, "I—I would never hurt her."

"Oh really? Then let me jog the little memories you have left and remind you that a few months ago you put a knife to her neck! For all we know, you could be under the beast's control! Did you think I'd trust you to be in her company? Did you think I'd want to risk her life by letting her be around you? No, I would have to be a bloody fool!"

Robin grit his teeth. Her uncle was right. Too many times his family had put the Merryweathers at risk. Two times he threatened Maria's life. First when she came to Moonacre valley, and the second when he lost his bloody memories. There was no way he could prove himself loyal when he had to constantly check Maria's book just to know what happened between them.  
Robin narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. If there was one thing he knew, it was that fighting with Sir Benjamin would get them nowhere. He heard of the infamous Merryweather temper. "I saw her leave the party and I followed her. She was heading to the dungeons, but I stopped her. We talked for a bit, then went back inside."  
Sir Benjamin released Robin, and Robin continued his defense. "Sir Benjamin, I promise you, I mean her no harm. I—I just want my memories back. I may not remember, but I read her book and I know what happened."

"Then you know Maria's saved us many times. She needs dependable and loyal people in her life. If you truly read the book, then you know this isn't the first time you've abandoned her." With one last look to Robin, Sir Benjamin huffed over his shoulder as he went back inside. "Her father was already one coward in her life, she doesn't need another."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Maria," Mr. De Noir greeted her as he stepped into the dinning room.

"Good Afternoon! Did Robin come as well?"

Mr. De Noir took his seat for brunch and avoided her eyes. "Erm—He wasn't in the castle this morning. I'm not sure where he is actually, perhaps he'll join us later."

Sir Benjamin scoffed and shook his head. He wasn't surprised. Typical of Robin to disappear at any sign of confrontation. With that thought, Sir Benjamin looked to Loveday. It seemed lock-picking wasn't the only De Noir specialty, running away was too.

Maria inspected her uncle as she ate the rest of her meal in silence. Last night, when her uncle returned to the celebration, he was alone. She didn't see Robin for rest of the night. She still had a few more days in Moonacre, she wasn't leaving until the end of the week. She hoped this time, Robin would come to say good bye.

After breakfast, Loveday excused herself from her family. She took Albert by the hand and left the manor towards the forest. Since Albert began to walk, she resumed her stroll through the woods. Like her own upbringing, she wanted Albert to grow with the forest and learn all about it. She took him to her old dwelling and introduced him to her animal companions. He seemed especially fond of birds, much like his grandfather. He still didn't speak much, but she knew he enjoyed their walks together.

Today, she wanted to show Albert the first Moon Princess' cavern. As they neared the old knotted tree, Albert chortled and lunged himself forwards, running as best as a toddler could through the snow and trees.

"Albert, wait!"

Albert didn't stop for his mother. He continued running, laughing along the way, until he jumped on the lap of his favorite uncle.

"Robin?"

Robin greeted Loveday with a weak smile. He lifted Albert on to his lap, and wrapped his red-feathered scarf around his nephew's neck.

"What are you doing here, Robin?"

"Just thinking. The castle was getting stuffy."

Loveday frowned and sat next to Robin. "What happened with Benjamin? You never came back to the celebration."

Robin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He tried to distract himself by playing with Albert.

"Does this have to do with Maria?"

Once again, her question went unanswered and she groaned.

"Robin, please talk to me… Maria told me what happened."

Robin winced and slowly looked to Loveday. She was biting her lip with worry. Her hand was raised, as though wishing to physically comfort him, but she wasn't sure if he would be open to the affection. After all, it was only recently that he still thought her a traitor. With his memories gone, all the years they spent rebuilding their relationship had also disappeared.

Robin sighed. He hated not having his memories. To this day it seemed everyone still tiptoed around him, making him uncertain of how to behave around them as well.  
"Sir Benjamin simply had the curtesy to remind me of the many times I've endangered Maria's life and how he doesn't trust me."

"Oh, Benjamin! Such a mistrusting and stubborn person he is. He's going to hear me out on this—"

"Don't Loveday, he's right." Robin took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair. "Loveday, I feel as though I've taken advantage of her."

Loveday grabbed his arm, "Don't you dare say that Robin!"

"But it's true! Since the very beginning Maria has done nothing but give me her friendship and kindness. I have yet to return it! Who am I to deserve her forgiveness—or anyone else's for that matter—and then for me to just go on and kiss her! I feel as though I've taken advantage of her love."

"But Robin, don't you see? It is her love for you that drove her to forgive you and show you affection—"

"No Loveday, it is her love for the  _old_  Robin, her desire to bring  _him_  back, not me.  _I_ haven't done anything to deserve it. I feel like a fake, a broken replacement."  
Loveday shook her head as she listened to Robin's rant. By now, Albert grew tired of their arguing and waddled away to build a family of snowmen.  
"And even back then, the old Robin, what a ruddy friend he was! How did I go so long without talking to her? How could he have let her leave to school without so much as an apology? What kind of friend does that? Definitely not one who has a right to her love and affection."

Loveday chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder. At first, she felt him stiffen, but as she spoke he seemed to relax next to her. "Dear brother, if anyone heard you, they'd think you lost your mind! Speaking as though you were two separate people. Robin, you are the same. You and the old Robin. Yes, you made mistakes then, but you have grown, you've learned."

"Have I?"

"Yes! The first time you avoided her for three years, but this time, only a few months. That's a vast improvement if you ask me?"

"Loveday, I was forced to talk to her. If it weren't for you all knocking some sense I would still be the biggest oaf in all of England."

"Then thank the heavens for our patience and let the past be the past. I would imagine without memories you'd have an easier time moving forwards."

Robin shook his head. "Loveday, how was Maria's father?"

Loveday heaved a sigh and brought her knees up to her chest. "By the time I ran away to be with Benjamin, Joseph had long left Moonacre to live his life in London. I can't say I knew him well, if at all. I only knew of him through the letters he sparingly sent Benjamin. It's how I learned of Maria. Though he was older than Benjamin, he wasn't responsible and spent too much money. He gave Benjamin many headaches.  
He left Moonacre to avoid the curse, taking with him Moonacre's book. Benjamin claimed he was angry at Joseph for stealing the book, but I knew it was a lie. He missed his brother. He was left all alone in the decrepit mansion to deal with the curse."

"So, it's true then, he was a coward?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't say… though a father who squanders his money then leaves behind an orphaned daughter with nothing to survive, doesn't seem like a good man to me. He was putting a lot of faith in Benjamin to accept Maria."

"Sir Benjamin wouldn't have abandoned her, would he?"

Loveday smiled, feeling her chest swell. "No, he wouldn't have. He is temperamental, has a rage that could frighten any De Noir—it sure frightened me—and he can be stiff and unyielding to change. But, despite all that, he is a passionate, loyal, and incredibly faithful man, dedicated to his family. Its why I fell in love with him. I learned from Digweed and Marmaduke he spent ages searching all through Moonacre for me. I'm sure it's why he remained in Moonacre, waiting for his brother and I to return, he never lost hope."

...oOo...

Maria sat with her uncle and governess in the piano room. It was nearing supper and she was playing melodies, Sir Benjamin was reading, and Mrs. Heliotrope was embroidering a new handkerchief for Digweed. Mr. De Noir had returned to the castle after brunch.  
The pitter-patters of Albert's steps broke the sweet melody of Maria's playing. Albert came running in and tackled Wrolf who was nestled by the fireplace. Wrolf let out a quiet roar. He tried to shift away from the melting snow falling off Albert's coat and into his own, but Albert was relentless. He continued burrowing himself into Wrolf, determined to steal his warmth. A soft knock on the doorway distracted them from the adorable sight before them.

Maria sat up and gapped. "R—Robin, what are you doing here?"

He stood sheepishly by the door with a large, old and weathered, trunk by his feet. All his confidence from the night before was gone. Instead, a swarm of butterflies pushed against his stomach and left him feeling sick. It didn't help that Sir Benjamin was glaring over his book… or that Loveday tried to push him into the room while eagerly standing on her toes to peer over his shoulders. Perhaps he should have taken his friends' offer for a quick drink before coming down to see Maria.

"Maria! Is that any way to greet a guest?" Mrs. Heliotrope scolded.

"No, no, its fine," Robin tried to say, though it sounded more like a croak. He cleared his throat, his ears burning as he saw Sir Benjamin smirk. "Good afternoon ladies, Sir Benjamin."

Sir Benjamin grunted his greeting and pretended to go back to his book, but neither Robin nor Loveday miss his sidelong glares at the De Noir heir.

"I don't mean to intrude, and I apologize for not making it to brunch earlier. I—er, actually came to try to make amends." He added nudging the crate by his feet.

Sir Benjamin set his book down and narrowed his eyes. Loveday shot him a warning look and urged Robin to continue. She finally budged him into the room.

"Erm—I was reminded by Maria last night that I promised to teach her how to properly defend herself. Well, that promise is long overdue, and if Maria would still have me as her instructor, I would like to begin immediately, before she heads off to school."

Sir Benjamin tightened his jaw but nodded his head. He would feel better if Maria had some basic understanding of defense. So long as he could observe them, at least the first few days, he could make sure Robin truly meant no harm.

"The boys told me Maria and her friends had trouble with their gowns, so I- erm- went and found some old clothes for them to have."

Mrs. Heliotrope squawked, "Heavens n-no! Maria can't wear such clothes! The in-indecency, the—the audacity! To dress as a man a-and partake in such activities—It will be her social downfall!"

Sir Benjamin now directed his scowl to Maria's governess. "Mrs. Heliotrope, I think we all know that so long as those pearls remain with her, Maria must not only be protected by us, but must also be able to protect herself."

"Y—yes b-but with her ma—magic there should be no need for Maria to resort to actual f—fighting!"

"Though Maria herself has made that point," Robin interjected, "She still has no control over the pearls and there may be the worst-case scenario where Maria won't have the pearls with her. We need her to be prepared."

Sir Benjamin cleared his throat, "Robin's right. However, before I let you anywhere near my niece," Sir Benjamin walked up to Robin and met him eye to eye. "Know that one step out of line and I will make sure you never set foot in Moonacre again." Sir Benjamin inched closer and whispered in his ear, "You may have easily won over your sister's and Maria's trust, but not mine. I'll be watching you."

With that, Sir Benjamin walked out the door and left to his office. Loveday groaned in frustration. She squeezed Robin's arm in support before following her husband.

Mrs. Heliotrope aggressively fanned her face. "Maria, Robin, p—please excuse me. This seemed to have riled my indigestion. Oh, where is Digweed I must speak with him!"

Mrs. Heliotrope rushed out of the room and left Maria and Robin alone.

Maria clasped her hands behind her back and stepped out from behind the piano. She walked to Robin, "Hello."

Robin returned her smile. "Hi. You play beautifully."

"Thank you, you once played with me."

"I did?"

"Yes, Loveday's waltz. You were wonderful too."

"Thanks." Robin shifted his weight. Not many knew he played the piano. He wished he could remember that.

"Would you like to sit down?"

"Actually, if it's alright by you, can we start today? I don't want to keep this promise waiting."

Maria rocked on the balls of her feet and gave Robin a smile that sent his heart beating. "Alright, but first, could you help me take the trunk to my tower."

"You sleep in a tower?"

"That's right."

"How very, princess-y of you," Robin smirked.

The walk to Maria's room was quiet. Now that he wasn't trying to catch her, Robin took his time to admire the manor. The winter sun bounced off its cream-colored walls and the crystal chandeliers decorated with garland and berries. He recognized Loveday's favorite flower plants, waiting to bloom with the upcoming spring.

Inside the tower, Robin set the trunk down. Right by the door was the portrait of the first Moon Princess. "Is this her?"

"Yes. She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Robin marveled at it, astonished by how similar she looked to Loveday.

"There is another I'd like you too meet!" Maria cradled her rabbit and plopped her into Robin's arms. "This is Serena! My Moonacre Rabbit. I believe you read about her? You trapped her and I set her free, it was one of our earliest encounters. Second after that," Maria said pointing to the scar on the back of his hand.

Robin nodded his head, unsure of what to do with the soft ball of fur in his arms.

"Robin, come, I have something else to show you!"

Robin's brow creased at the tiny door Maria was crawling through. He carefully placed Serena on the floor and followed Maria into a circular room. It had a balcony that faced the snow-covered forest and ocean beyond. Murals of the ocean, in hues of blues and greens, contrasted with the heavenly white unicorns that decorated her walls. He stood in awe. His mind stirred, it all looked so familiar, but he couldn't recall a previous time he'd seen it.  
A faint whisper disturbed his thoughts, warning him this could be a trap. Robin shook his head and admonished himself for thinking that.

"Is something wrong?"

"N—no," Robin forced a smile. "Your room, i—it's nice."

Maria laughed. "Though I appreciate your forced admiration, that's not what I wanted to show you. Come, stand by me."

Robin moved stiffly besides her, keeping a respectable space between them. Maria wrapped her arm around his. She felt him tense.  
"Do you trust me?"

Robin processed her words. She was waiting for him, staring with her wide eyes and a playful grin on her rosy lips. Robin swallowed, once more shoving his lingering doubts to the back of his mind. He nodded his head.

Maria's grip tightened. "On the count of three: one… two…—three!"

Maria stretched out her free arm. She let herself fell back on her bed, pulling Robin down with her. Robin's free hand instinctively flew to his sheath but he stopped himself. His yelp was cut short and he landed on her soft blankets.

"Look!" Maria pointed at her ceiling.

Robin's mouth fell open. Fluffy white clouds rolled across the enchanted ceiling. Birds flew in between, twirling amongst themselves. The sky was a beautiful blue, but turning pink on the western-most wall, the sun was setting. Robin was speechless.

"It's magnificent, isn't it? It's what I miss the most about home back at school. Well, I miss my family the most of course, but this ceiling comes in close second."

"How is this possible?" Robin asked breathlessly.

"Magic." Maria excitedly whispered back. "Oh, I wish you could see it at night. The stars twinkle so brightly! It faithfully replicates the sky up above. I used to spend my nights searching for constellations."

"Used too?"

"Yes, I've now finished. I wish there was a way to observe the night sky in other locations, but it seems to only act as a window for Moonacre's sky."

Robin was curious of how the night looked on her roof. He made up his mind to one day find out.

Maria turned on her side to face him. She rested her head on her hand. "The last time you were here, you tried to fight William. You were so worked up about him, and the monster, we never got to admire the stars on my ceiling."

Robin's face scrunched in disgust. "Why was he here?"

"Oh, don't you start, he's my friend. The Harrisons was here to pick up what was left of their shipwreck."

Robin huffed. "Still don't see what you like in him and I still think his family was responsible for Althea. He's bit of a fop."

"Think what you want, but he's been a true friend, much like Bast, the rest of your gang, and the girls back at school."

Robin couldn't help but notice she left him out and felt a pang of guilt. Perhaps it was just like what Sir Benjamin said, he really had been a cowardly friend to her.

"Speaking of whereabouts, Robin, why didn't you come back to the party? Did my uncle do something?"

Robin turned back to her ceiling and released a low breath. He should have figured Maria was going to ask too.  
"Don't worry about it. Your uncle was simply making sure you were safe."

Maria frowned. "Safe from Charles and Althea… or safe from you…?"

"…Both."

"Don't listen to him, my uncle shouldn't be accusing you of such wickedness."

"He has a point. For all we know Althea could be somewhere in the depths of my head. I'm sorry. I've caused you so much trouble," Robin said.

"Nonsense!" Maria prodded his shoulder. "The only trouble you've caused is obstructing my mission," she huffed. "I was supposed to confront Althea and find how to get your memories. When can I talk to her? It hardly seems fair you've all kept her to youselves."

Robin blanched. He couldn't reveal she had escaped. "Erm, you should talk to your uncle or my father about that."

"But why not you? You said you're not allowed to see her, aren't you curious?"

It was true, many nights he tried to find them. But the dungeons were massive and filled with guards. He couldn't get far without being discovered. And now, Althea was gone. He had missed his chance.

Robin shrugged his shoulders, "It's too dangerous."

Maria pouted. She got down her bed and made her way back to the trunk filled with clothing. She opened it up and began to inspect the old clothes. There were leather trousers, black and white tunics, a few old leather jackets, and a red scarf. "Well then what else am I to do? You're my friend Robin, and a very dear one at that. I want to do all that I can to help you! But without talking to Althea, we're left in a rut!"

He came up behind her and leaned against the doorway. "How dear of a friend?"

Maria bit her lips. She glanced at Robin before resuming her inspection. "Dear enough for me to kiss you…." She mumbled feeling her cheeks burn. "So, it's true then, you're really going to try to teach me this time?" She tried to change the subject.

Robin smiled, his heart fluttering with hope. "Yes, why? Did you think I only came for another kiss?"

Maria rolled her eyes but couldn't stop her grin. "I hope you'll forget those kisses. Not like they worked anyways."

"You're asking the impossible." He turned to Maria with a hint of a playful smile and said, "I can't say I remember, but I will never forget your kiss. And I promise if I ever remember you will be the first to know. Until then…we can keep trying until I do?" His smirk was light as he raised an eyebrow. He was testing his ground. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

Maria was caught by surprised and laughed. "Who do you think I am?" She mockingly scolded. "Someone you can just kiss whenever you feel like remembering? It isn't respectable and considering it hasn't worked, I'm afraid last night may be the end of our snogging sessions. We'll have to find other ways to get your memories. Perhaps spells—" Maria gestured to her peals "—or potions made from frog feet and bat wings!"

Robin grimaced, "Hang on, that's not fair, I've only gotten two kisses so far—"

"Yes, and you will get no more! At least not until your memories come back. You should consider yourself lucky you even got two."

Robin leaned closer to Maria. "Hmm, considering that we've only kissed twice….and out of those two kisses, only one seemed to work—and even then, only slightly might I add—I would say it's too soon to tell if it did or it didn't work. Perhaps we need to test the kisses out a bit more, break down the mental barrier."

Maria raised her brows, "Oh really? On account of simple arithmetics, you think you need more kisses?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders, "It's in the numbers."

"Numbers or not, it is neither proper nor respectable. If we were caught, I would be in so much trouble! My reputation would be ruined! No calculations could excuse or save that."

Robin recalled Richard's scolding. "You are not just someone to kiss whenever, you are the Moon Princess anyone would be honored to have your kisses," Robin stated. "If someone ever makes you feel anything less than the respectable London lady you are, they will have a gang of ruffians, bandits, and plunderers, led by a most ruthless leader, to deal with." Robin winked.

Maria rolled her eyes and laughed a beautiful chime to his ears. "Go away bird boy, I must change," Maria said pushing Robin out the door.

"Unfortunately, I have many promises to make up for, so you won't be rid of me that easily. I'll wait downstairs for our lessons, princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers, I'm so sorry for the delay! For as easy as this chapter was supposed to be, it took me way too long to edit.  
> As for my plans: this chp was the last of their holidays. I wanted to get Robin 'up to speed' since he's going to play a big role in the next chapters and well, I need him to be friendly (*wink* ) with Maria. I want to be honest and say I have been struggling with motivation, so I will do my best to publish the next chapter by Feb 3. I could also use some feedback letting me know what you want to happen? is the pacing ok? Is there something I can do to make this story better? It would be great if I could get some feedback :)
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> -gladsss


	9. Of Feelings and Admissions

Robin was returning from the Merryweather Manor. His step was light, his scarf seemed to merrily flutter with the breeze, and his hands were snugged comfortably in his pockets to keep the frigid night air from numbing fingers.

“Where were you? We’ve been looking all over for you.”

Robin looked up. Richard was by the gates, ready to mount a saddled horse. Robin shrugged and responded, “Just took a walk.”

“Huh, is that so?” Richard moved to stand in front of Robin with his arms crossed. “Henry said you spent all morning collecting our old clothes. Then you left to the forest lugging a trunk. Didn’t happen to stumble upon the Merryweather Manor, did you?”

The corners of Robin’s mouth twitched.   
“Perhaps,” was his only response, but Richard didn’t miss Robin’s sly grin.

“You rogue, you’ve gone out and kissed her again, haven’t you?” Richard wrapped his arm around Robin’s head and brought him in, almost knocking off his bowler hat.

Robin laughed and pushed Richard away.  “No, no, I didn’t. I was only there to make peace with her uncle and resume our fighting lessons.” Robin readjusted his hat back on his head.

Richard was watching Robin with a brow raised in suspicion. “You don’t think I’m daft enough to believe that nonsense?”

 “It’s true, I swear on my life. Today, I, Robin De Noir did not kiss Maria Merryweather—” Robin threw his hands up in resignation “—I kissed her last night.”

Richard laughed and knocked into Robin’s shoulder.

“Well aren’t you two the merry fools,” Henry remarked coming upon his friends. He was on his horse and looked both weary and annoyed. “You better have a good reason for disappearing. David and I missed dinner looking for you.”

Robin sheepishly smiled and averted his eyes. Richard was about to answer when Henry raised his hand to the air and said “save it” as he continued to ride past them.  He wasn’t in the mood to listen to them.

“Oy Henry! Where’s David?” Robin called out behind them.

“He went home, did you expect him to be waiting all night for you? Also, your father needs you. He wants to finalize our plan before leaving.”

Robin blew out a puff of air. His father could wait some more. After reassuring his friends he’d meet them in the dining hall, Robin turned and headed towards the castle grounds.   
He approached the small cottage and stopped just before reaching its door. David did a good job with it. Unlike the black castle stone, the cottage stood out amongst the green with its brown and cream-colored cob-stone walls. It was quaint little home, more welcoming than the castle could ever dream to be. He raised his fist to knock and hesitated. They were still not on speaking terms. Would he want to see him? Robin considered turning back but remembered Richard’s words. He owed David and apology. If David wasn’t ready to accept it, well, he had every right. Gritting his teeth, Robin tapped the door lightly. He didn’t have to wait long before Cecile swung it open.

Her eyes widened. She brought her night robes closer to herself as she bent down in a curtsy.   
 “Master Robin! what brings you here?”

“Please Cecile, we’ve talked about this, don’t call me that. Is David here?”

“Oh—erm yes, please excuse me, Mas—er Robin. He’s right inside, come on in.”

Robin politely shook his head. “It’s well past visiting hours and I don’t want to bother. I’ll be quick, could you please ask him to come outside?”

With another quick curtesy, Cecile left to bring her brother.

“What are you doing here?” David asked. He paid no attention to Cecille scowling at his attitude.

“Can I️ talk to you?”

David scrutinized him. After a few seconds, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it, motioning for Robin to continue.  

“David, erm—” Robin paused. He was beginning to feel nervous. He sat on the door step and looked out into the forest. “I came here to say…I️ want to say—what I mean is that I’m sorry for the things I️ said.”

David shrugged, his eyes downcast. “Doesn’t matter, it’s true anyways—”

“No!” Robin interrupted him, turning around to face David. “You did exactly what a friend should do! You defended Maria and tried to talk some sense to me. I️ was an arse. I️’ve been an arse. I know how much you like Cat and I️ was angry. I️ wanted to piss you and everyone off.”

“Well you sure did a good job at that,” David muttered.

Robin sighed, “I know. I didn’t trust the lot of you.”

“Things would’ve been easier if you tried listening to us from the beginning.”

“It was too much, too unbelievable.” He didn’t know what else to say. Robin looked back to the forest, wishing its darkness could envelope him.

“Trust me I know.” David sat down beside him. “I was against Maria at the beginning. None of you listened to me, told me I was off my rocker. I’m sure you avoided talking about her around me. It only made things worst. I was sure she brainwashed the lot of you.”

Robin grimaced, a spark of recollection hinted at those fights he had with David years ago.

“Have I always been such a dolt?”

David laughed. “No, not an arse. Just a stubborn git, and it went both ways if you ask me. Once I got to know her, realized she wasn’t half bad at all.”

“I’m sorry. I regret what I said. I meant none of it. If it’s any consolation, you missed the bloody good slap Cat gave me.”

“She struck you?”

“…yeah didn’t hold back either.” Robin laughed. “Teach her how to throw a punch and she’ll knock out all your offenders.”

David smiled fondly thinking of Cat.

“You’re my mate,” Robin continued. “I️ know for a fact throughout our friendship you’ve never been afraid to keep me a check. I’m sorry for not trusting you, or any of the others.”

“Three times...”

“What?” Robin asked confused.

“Three times the great Robin De Noir has apologized. What a day, my sister won’t believe it.”

“Really?” Robin asked incredulously. David simply shrugged his shoulders, earning a laugh from his friend.

* * *

“Maria, did Robin really give you his clothes?” Cat asked. She was standing in front of the mirror inspecting herself. She stuck out her leg and bent at the waist. She touched the floor and then swung herself up to the sky, stretching her arms outwards. She sighed contently.

“Yes, I’ll make sure to thank him on your behalf next time I see him. You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Cat looked over her shoulder and tossed Maria a wink. “It’s not every day you have such freedom of movement.” Cat turned back to the mirror and twirled in front of it. “When will you see him again?”

Maria shook her head, “Not anytime soon, doubt I’ll hear a word from him though. We never had a chance to establish a written correspondence. His birthday is approaching, he will be 21.”

“Same age as Henry,” Lizzy observed. “You should write him a letter.”

“Yes you must!” Cat chimed. “Especially if you’ll thank him for our clothes on Lizzy’s and my behalf.” Turning back to the mirror, Cat continued inspecting herself. “This leather makes me feel like a pirate! I’ll be called the ‘Black-leathered Cat, Terror of Men’s hearts and Queen of the sea!’ Has a great ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Cat, the only terrifying thing about you is your morning hair and talkative tongue,” Lizzy teased.

Cat patted down her Auburn curls and stuck out her tongue. “I’d bring more terror than you. What would you do to a pirate? Read them to death?”

Maria snickered at Lizzy’s stunned reaction.

“Cat, I believe you are mistaken.” Maria now joined in the taunting, “Lizzy wouldn’t be a lone pirate. With Henry at her side, his deadpanned stare would frighten even the most hardened of pirates.”

Though Lizzy’s cheeks turned pink, she smiled impishly, “Now, that’s where you are wrong Maria. No one scares people more than Robin. His broodiness is enough to suck all joy and hope from our hearts.”

Maria rolled her eyes and shook his head. “He can’t help it, he’s had a troubled life.”

“Oh darling, they’ve all have,” Cat called over her shoulder.

“Wait, Cat—did you pay attention? This is the second mention of Robin without an insult to his name. In fact, it practically sounds like Maria’s defending him! Did something happen over the holidays to cause this shift in her heart?”

Maria felt her face grow warm under the inspection of her friends. She vehemently shook her head in denial.

“Hmm…. I seem to recall Maria said she would attempt to break his curse this winter,” Cat mused as she walked towards Maria with one hand on her hip and the other tapping her chin. She belly-flopped on her bed and rested her chin between her clasped hands.

“And yet,” Lizzy began to add, “she has failed to mention of any occurrences with Robin. Cat, what could explain the sudden change from his cold demeanor, to one who cares enough to give us his old clothes? I believe there is something Maria’s not telling us.”

“Oh, hush. You girls are my best friends, I tell you everything.”

“Then please, dearest friend Maria, the savior of Moonacre Valley, holder of magical pearls she once casually forgot to mention for three years; please tell us why your cheeks are red and you are fidgeting on your toes,” Cat taunted.

Maria huffed. “Well, you girls will be disappointed to know that Cat’s idea did no more than infuriate that birdboy! He chased me all throughout the mansion! And with my dress it was impossible to run away— which reminds me, presents from Loveday! Jane’s been sent hers through the mail.” 

Maria tactfully dodged their interrogation as she brought out a pink box for Cat and a purple one for Lizzy. The girls excitedly opened them. Maria groaned when she saw that each of the girls received a high collared blouse to go with a matching gown. _Im going to have a word with Loveday._

Maria’s return to London from the holidays was no different than the previous years. Well, aside from Maria’s growing desire to return home for the Easter Holiday. She couldn’t go a day without thinking of him. And though she tried to remain proper, to restrict her thoughts, she couldn’t. On the contrary, her own restrictions seemed to bring about Robin. The more she thought about Robin, the more his kisses came to mind. Soon, Maria came to believe her three-year rift with Robin was a blessing. At least while they were fighting she didn’t have to be reminded so frequently of how much she missed him.

It was during one late January night, that she decided to write him a letter. His birthday was in a few days, and she did need to respond to Loveday’s and Mrs. Heliotrope’s letters.  When the girls began to tease her, Maria defended herself, coming up with all sorts of excuses for why this was nothing more than a cordial letter between two friends.  

Much like before, the girls carried on with their busy schedules. Cat and Lizzy continued sharing responsibilities over guiding the younger girls, and Maria was now teaching once a week. She still wasn’t sure why she was made an instructor, and she didn’t like working with Charlotte, but at least the two were now cordial with one another.  

Aside from teaching, Maria’s tasks varied. Even though she was not supposed to leave school according to her uncle’s orders, Mrs. Watson sometimes sent her along with an unoccupied teacher to run errands in the city. One afternoon when all the teachers were busy, Mrs. Watson sent Maria to pick up the postage with her friends.

The weather was warming, and the air no longer stung their cheeks. The girls were merrily strolling along the street when Lizzy came to an abrupt stop. It was so sudden, her intertwined arms pulled on Cat’s and Maria’s, almost toppling them over. She loosened herself and ran to the newsstand.

Freshly printed newsprint was laid all across the stand. A headline in large black letters read ‘MURDERS ON THE RISE, SUSPECT STILL UNKNOWN.’

Lizzy paid for the paper and burrowed her eyes into the print. She scanned the lines of ink and ignored questions from her friends. It wasn’t long before Cat’s impatience got the best of her. She grabbed her sister’s hands and forced her to lower the newspaper from her face.

“Lizzy what has gotten into you? What is the matter?”

“Don’t you see? People have been murdered! Their bodies torn apart! All across England and France!” She pointed to the illustrated map on the front cover. It was dotted where bodies had been found. “Don’t you see the implications?”

“What implications?” Maria asked now sounding frustrated as well. She could not guess Lizzy’s thoughts.

Lizzy’s mouth fell open. She remembered that neither Maria or Cat knew of Althea’s escape. Henry made her promise not to tell. Her mouth opened and closed, struggling to find a response.

“Those—it’s just— poor victims! Imagine what their families are going through!”

“That is dreadful,” Maria conceded.

Cat narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was related to her secret outings at night. In fact, now that she thought of it, they must be related. It may also explain why the De Noir gang was following the girls to Bristol. Was there someone else after Maria? Perhaps Michael and John, Charles’ friends seeking revenge. Maria seemed to know as much as she did, but would Jane know more? Cat decided she would write to Jane that very night and confess her thoughts.

“Cat, are you coming along?”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Cat hurried and linked her arms back between her sister and friend.

...oOo...

_Dearest Cat,_

_Thank you for your letter, it feels as though it’s been ages since I last saw you. Oh if you only understood how much I missed you all! My brothers’ teasing has been relentless. My younger brothers continue to hide my things and, even worst, my older brothers seem to think **I** have feelings for Richard, can you believe that? It’s not my fault I haven’t found any of the courters my parents present to my fancy. They are all dull fools._

_After my visit to Moonacre, I just can’t seem to find a suitor with a heart for adventure. If only my parents understood. My mother continues to remind me that I’m 20 and if I don’t act fast, I’ll end up a bitter spinster. I don’t believe that, do you? If Loveday could marry late, why can’t I? Perhaps I’ll join Lizzy in the academic life… though from what you write, it seems a bachelorette life of study won’t be one for her. Do you really think she’s meeting Henry in secret? That’s just simply not like her!_   
_You must forgive me though Cat, I just can’t do what you ask of me. Though I am as curious as you, I can’t write to Richard. Not only is it improper for a young lady to write to a man she can barely call an acquaintance, but just imagine what Richard would think? Oh, it just boils my blood thinking of it! No doubt it would fuel his arrogance. Even worst, he may go about parading my letter for all to see. I would be so ashamed. What if you write to David instead? You two have definitely gotten closer and I’m sure he’d respect your privacy, definitely more than Richard would._

_I truly am sorry Cat, I hope you’ll understand. Until then, I eagerly anticipate your letter._

_Your friend,_

_Jane Williams_

Jane set her pen down and bit her lip. She looked off to the side where there laid scattered pieces of crumpled paper. Various greetings and introductions were scratched and scribbled off. She was almost out of ink.

_~~Richard,~~ _

_~~Dear Ricard,~~ _

_~~Hello Richard, I hope you understand that my letter stems from nothing more than a desire to help my friend. Cat has a few suspicious she would like you to confirm or deny…~~ _

Jane knew she had to dispose of these before her brothers could get a hand on them. Jane groaned thinking of how much worst their teasing would be. It didn’t help her own mother found Richard charming.   
Jane sighed and rested her chin on her hand. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t write to Richard. She couldn’t bear the thought of Richard thinking _she_ sought _him_. He would never let it down. Richard would need to write to her first. Jane scoffed, as if he ever would. She was nothing more than a short-term infatuation for him.  She hoped Cat would understand.

* * *

“Miss Maria!”

“Yes, Mrs. Watson?”

“The Postman has once again failed to deliver the post. No doubt he’s been too busy delivering letters for St. Valentine’s Day.” Mrs. Watson scoffed, indignant that such a holiday would detain her from her business. “I am expecting plans regarding the Spring Ball. I need you to retrieve them.”

“I would love too, but I teach in an hour.”

“I’ll have Charlotte teach your class today. Take the Thomas sisters with you, I believe the rest of the teachers are preoccupied.”

Maria dropped a polite curtsy and rushed to her room.

“Where’s Lizzy?” She asked Cat who was on her bed writing a letter.

“She’s tutoring, she won’t be back until supper.”

“That’s unfortunate, I’m heading to the postage to pick up the mail, can you come with me?”

Cat eagerly agreed and soon the girls found themselves at the post office with a very confused clerk.

“I’m sorry miss,” the Clerk said wiping his brow with his handkerchief. No doubt exhausted from the busy day dealing with disgruntled lovers. “The postage was sent out a few hours ago as always. We have nothing.”

“That can’t be right, are you sure there are no letters in the back.”

The clerk raised his hands in defeat and shook his head. He was already dreading having the same conversation with the long line of customers behind Maria.

“Very well, thank you sir, I’ll let my headmistress know.”

Cat and Maria stepped out, reluctant to go back to school. “How upset do you think she’ll be?”

Cat shrugged her shoulders and sighed, “I think we’ll live, though the clerk may be in for an earful next time she’s back in town.”

They began their walk back to school when a familiar figure called out to them, “Good day ladies, looking for these?”   
Bast stood leaning against a pole. He wore a smug smile and held up a stack of letters.

“Bast how dare you! Poor Maria’s been worried sick she’ll have to feel your mother’s scorn!”

“Ahh don’t worry about my dear old mum. Besides—” Bast said hopping down onto the road and walking towards the girls. “We have more pressing matters to discuss.” A large grin decorated his freckled face as he intertwined his arms between the two young ladies.

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

“I am on an important mission!” Bast pulled the girls, leading them down the street.

“What luck you brought Cat as well. Here I thought I’d be forced off to the side all by myself. And on such a day as this!”

Cat looked around. Couples walked past them arm-in-arm. Her cheeks grew pink from Bast’s compliment. “Bast, though I appreciate your compliment, what do you mean? We need to return to school. Maria has her lessons and I have to check on my second years.”

“Didn’t you say you and Lizzy worked together on that? She’s a bright girl, let her take care of them.” Before the girls could further protest, Bast pulled them along until they landed at a café in the heart of London.

“What are we doing here, Bast?”

Bast simply tossed them a sly smile and strolled to the hostess. He whispered something to her ear, pointing at Cat. The hostess eagerly nodded, and the girls were ushered inside.

Out by a large open window facing the park was a nicely decorated table and a seated person.

“William?” Maria asked with disbelief.

He promptly stood up and bowed to her, “good day Maria, looking as beautiful as ever.”

Maria silenced her giggle but could not stop smiling at seeing her friend. She walked over and gave him a hug.

“Goodness, what’s all this about?” Maria asked as she sat beside William. Cat was seated next to Bast.

“I wasn’t able to see you before your trip to Bristol, and well today is St. Valentine’s—”

“Oh, this isn’t necessary William!” Maria interjected. “Your friendship is more than enough!”  

“Please, with how little I see you it’s the least I can do to show you how much you mean to me.”

A small gasped escaped Cat followed by a chuckle from Bast. Maria blushed red. She wanted to respond, but she didn’t know what to say. Not knowing what to do, she forced an embarrassed smile and averted her eyes.

“What a sweet gesture William,” Cat said, coming to Maria’s rescue. “but we will be in trouble with Mrs. Watson if she notices we’re gone. Maria could even be expelled!”

“Don’t worry about my mother, I’ve arranged a busy day for her,” Bast answered.

Cat raised her brow in question. Bast took out his pocket watch and checked the time, “in about… 5 minutes, she should receive a visit from a couple of very persistent builders. I may have let slip she’s considering making new additions to the school’s dormitories. Enrollment has increased at Porter’s.”

“Bast, just how many tricks do you have up your sleeves? Here I thought you were the nice one of the lot.”

Bast shrugged his shoulders, “I may have learned a thing from the De Noirs. Which by the way, Maria how’s Robin?”

Maria felt William tensed beside her.   
“He’s—he’s doing well. We um spoke for the first time. He was very cordial. It seems he’s grown to trust us since Bristol.”

“Hmph—about time,” Cat muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

Despite growing worried Mrs. Watson would catch on to their absence, the girls’ managed to enjoy their impromptu lunch with William and Bast. They learned each went home to their families. William’s family obtained a new ship to replace the one wrecked by Althea. Bast went to France to visit his grandparents. In turn, the girls told them of their own trip to Bristol to visit Jane.   
Cat struggled to hold her laughter as she observed William grow tenser with every mention of Robin. She knew Maria was doing her best to remain strictly platonic, but she was sure, now more than ever, that William had other intentions behind his friendship with Maria. That wasn’t the only curious observation Cat noted. From the corner of her eye, she caught Bast studying her as she spoke of David. Cat was so caught off guard, she stumbled over her words, something she’d never done before.

Meanwhile, Maria was kept preoccupied in trying to keep a small distance between her and William. Throughout lunch, she noticed him inching closer.  She still wasn’t sure she wanted that kind of attention, at least maybe not from him. He was handsome, there was no question about that, but any thought of him was squashed by one of Robin. Maria took a large gulp of water, wishing her mind would stop with so many conflicting thoughts.

As their lunch came to an end, the boys paid for the girl’s meals and ignored their protests. Then they escorted them home, agreeing that Bast would enter with them to further distract his mother.

“Well ladies, I believe these are yours?” Bast handed over their captive letters to Cat.   

“A letter from Jane! And what’s this? Maria, I believe you are receiving books again.”

Perplexed, Maria took the package. Like before, it lacked a return address, and this one had splotches of ink threatening to blot out her own address.  Maria opened it to reveal a book. Aside from its creases filled with the dust, the book looked brand new.

William cocked his head, “who’s that from?”

“I don’t know.”

“Could be dangerous.”

“Or perhaps, it’s from a secret admirer,” Cat said wiggling her brows.

“No I’m sure they’re from my uncle. He has a hard time showing affection.”

William stepped closer and gestured for her book, which she happily handed over. William inspected it, flipping through its pages. Satisfied, he handed it back to her.   
“Best be careful, you never know if there are sinister intentions from the sender.”

Maria laughed, “No that’s just not possible. What evil person would have time to send me books? I am sure they’re from my uncle.”

William frowned and inspected her face. He stepped closer. His hand brushed down her arm before softly covering Maria’s hands. As if on cue, Bast and Cat turned to head inside the school.

William's eyes scanned the trace of her face, stopping at the string of pink pearls around her neck. Maria’s breathing stalled, she felt her heart quicken. Maria’s eyes scanned the streets which were, thankfully, empty.

William bent close, his cheek just a hair’s breadth from hers.   
“Please be careful,” William whispered into her ear. His lips traced down to her cheek where he placed a soft kiss, sending chills down through Maria’s body.

Maria released a breath. She looked up. William’s eyes were focused on her, beseechingly. He certainly was handsome. Any girl would be lucky to have his attention, but she wasn’t sure she was that girl. She felt her face grew hot.

“Thank you, William, I—I’ll do my best.”

She gently pulled her hands from his and rushed to school. Mrs. Watson was occupied by Bast and Cat and Maria didn’t bother to stop. She was certain Cat gave Mrs. Watson an excuse for her absence.  Maria’s breathing was staggered as she ran into their room and jumped onto her bed. She muffled her groan with a pillow, letting the guilty feeling sink in.

Lizzy looked up from her green journal, clearly confused.  She was about to ask Maria what happened, when Maria cried out through her pillow, “I don’t want to talk right now!”

Lizzy scowled and left the room in search for Cat. As soon as found Cat, she pulled her into an empty corridor.

“Where have you girls been?”

 “Mrs. Watson sent us to pick up the post. We ran into Bast and William, and had lunch with them,” Cat responded nonchalantly.

Lizzy exasperatedly raised her hands. “Cat, why would you do that? It’s dangerous. Murders have been occurring all throughout England.”

“Lizzy, nothing’s happened here in London. I’m sure we’re safe. Besides, who would come after a couple of school girls in broad daylight.”

Lizzy shook her head. “No, no, you don’t understand. You’re not just a couple of school girls. You’re one girl and one Moon Princess! It’s more dangerous than ever!”

“Why is it more dangerous, Lizzy? Althea and Charles are imprisoned, correct? There’s nothing to worry about. Or, do you know something we don’t?”

Lizzy looked flustered and sputtered, “It just is, you could be kidnapped. What if Charles’ friends come after you? The streets are too dangerous right now.”

“That hasn’t stopped you.”

Lizzy froze. “What are you talking about?”

Cat prodded a finger into the center of Lizzy’s chest. “It hasn’t stopped you from sneaking out at night.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Lizzy, you honestly think I’m stupid? You don’t think I’ve noticed you dozing off during class. Or that green journal that you religiously keep by your side?” Cat said grabbing Lizzy’s wrist.   
“Where did you even get that from?—Hang on,” Cat said noticing something else as well. She raised Lizzy’s arm. In her hand held fast was the green journal and now, a green fountain pen she’d never seen before.   
“Lizzy, is that pen made of Mother-of-Pearl? When did you get this?”

“Yesterday…” Lizzy responded, wincing.

Cat groaned. “You don’t think I’ve seen you leave in the dead of night to God knows where dressed as a man? You can’t be keeping secrets from us!”

Lizzy’s face morphed to shame and regret. She moved to lean against the corridor wall. “How long have you known?”

“Well before Christmas.”

Lizzy gasped, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. You’re my sister, I wanted you to tell me first.”

Lizzy rested her head on her hand and rubbed her temple.

“They’re from Henry, the journal and the pen—”

“—What’s going on Lizzy?”

“—Althea and Charles, they’ve escaped.”

Cat stopped. She muttered a curse under her breath. “We must tell Maria.”

“Cat no!” Lizzy grabbed her hand to stop her from going back to their room. “Henry said Sir Benjamin does not want her to know.”

“But she must, she’s the Moon Princess. If anyone could stop her, it’s her!”

“That’s the problem, don’t you see? She’ll go after them herself. She’ll put herself in danger. It’s been almost 6 months and she’s nowhere near understanding her magic or how to use it. She might get herself killed!”

“Lizzy, this isn’t right.”

“I know Cat. My own guilt makes sleep impossible. But we must wait, just a bit longer. This book here—” Lizzy raised her green journal to her sister’s face “—contains all of mine and Henry’s notes. We’ve compiled different training regiments for Maria, to harness her power.”

“When were you planning on telling us?”

Lizzy’s eyes lit up, “Tonight!”

...oOo...

“Lizzy, is his absolutely necessary?” Maria asked trailing behind Lizzy. They were climbing the hidden stair case into the school’s attic. 

“Yes Maria, we could get caught in our room.”

“Caught doing what?” Though Maria pressed for answers, Lizzy remained silent. Maria turned back to look at Cat.   
“Cat what is your sister going on about?”

The flickering lamplight faintly illuminated Cat who only flashed a rogue smile and beckoned she lower her voice with her finger. They were, after all, at risk of being overheard through the walls.

As soon as they reached the attic, she surveyed the room filled with confiscated and long-forgotten items. Lizzy cleared a small table and set the lamp down. She turned up the lamps fire, expanding the circular ring of light to embrace her friends. The crescent moon streaming through the steeple window aided the lamp in illuminating cobwebs littered across the dusty items. The girls quickly cleared a circle around the table and waited for Lizzy’s explanation.

“Maria, we are here to help you learn to control your magic.”

Maria felt herself grow lightheaded. She wasn’t sure just how they were going to do that, but at least now she understood why Lizzy took them to the seclusion of the school’s abandoned attic.

“With every day that you don’t know your own powers, is another day Althea has to wreak havoc. I’ve been working with Henry, and we’ve come up with a series of activities that may help you access the Moon Pearls’ magic. Do you want to try?”

She wasn’t going to deny an opportunity like this, though she was sure there wasn’t much of a choice.  “It does seem I’ve waited long enough,” Maria replied, her voice felt dry, she was nervous. “What if something goes wrong? What if I don’t have the ability to wield magic? What if it’s only bestowed on me when I need it the most?”

Lizzy smiled, “well Maria, that is just what we’re going to find out!”

The only times Maria used magic so far was when they were under attack. Lizzy believed it was due to Maria’s desire to protect her family and friends. This helped her focus her energy on magic which was inside of her and the pearls. Henry, however, worried the magic was only inside of the pearls and a tool to use strictly for emergencies. This would make it impossible for Maria to train with.   
They needed to determine if the magic was an extension of the pearls for Maria to use, or if the magic was strictly limited to the pearls and only active when she was in danger.

To begin, Lizzy guided Maria and Cat through meditation exercises. Lizzy needed Maria to focus and distance herself from any pressing matters. She also made Cat participate to accompany Maria.

After meditation, Lizzy had Maria sit in front of the lantern and concentrate on it. So far, her magic seemed to manifest itself in the form of light. Lizzy believed Maria could channel her magic to increase the fire’s brightness.  Lizzy had many other theories to test, but her readings all shared one common warning: they needed to use extreme caution or risk the user’s life.

Lizzy learned many believed all magic to be an extension of a person’s energy. Even with the use of a magical object, such as a wand, or in this case, Maria’s pearls, the object was still channeling the wielder’s energy into magic. Therefore, the moon pearl’s magic will always be limited by Maria’s own ability and endurance. Lizzy couldn’t push Maria too much, doing so could put her life at risk.

While Cat watched and encouraged Maria, Lizzy took down detailed notes. She noted Maria’s stance, ability to focus, what distracted her, and her growing exhaustion. She had Cat keep an eye on the flame, noting any flickering or growth for Lizzy to write down. They were barely into an hour of practice when Maria fell back onto her hands. She was sweating and shivering.

Lizzy and Cat rushed to Maria. Lizzy checked Maria’s pulse and wrote it down, while Cat used her handkerchief to wipe Maria’s face.

“How do you feel Maria?”

Maria scowled and furrowed her brow. “Weak. I couldn’t even make the flame flicker.”

Lizzy smiled and helped Maria stand up. “That’s a good sign then. If you were simply staring at the fire, then you wouldn’t be so exhausted. If you’re tired, it must mean you were working hard to use your magic.”

“When I used it on Althea or the highwaymen, I didn’t get this tired,” Maria whined.

“Perhaps initially you were too distracted trying to save us to feel exhausted. But, don’t forget, you did sleep for a week after your battle with Althea.”

“Yes, and I’m sure Mother Nature or the first Moon Princess were helping you as well!” Cat added.

Maria pursed her lips, thinking carefully.

“You did great Maria,” Lizzy continued. “It’s well into the late night and we have loads of other things to do. But for this week this is more than enough.”

“Is that it?” Maria weakly asked.

“Yes, we can’t do this too much, at least not yet. You don’t have the energy.”

Maria shook her head. “I’ve waited long enough. I want to come back tomorrow.”

“No, Maria! You can barely stand!” Cat retorted.

“How about this. We will come back in three days, if you can last as long as you did today, we’ll start off twice a week and go from there.”

Maria sighed and nodded her head. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her shivering. Her pearls felt cold as well.

* * *

“Are you sure?” Henry asked the tavern man.

“Saw him myself, hard to miss that scar. Been wondering how he got it.”

“Somethings are best left a mystery.” Thanking the man, Henry folded his paper and tucked it into his jacket’s pocket.

“Anything good?” Robin asked Henry as he stepped outside the tavern.

Rounding up his friends, Henry informed them the tavern man was sure he spotted John, or at least a young man with a similar scar as him. They left a few hours ago, heading south.

“South, why south?” Asked David.

“I don’t know. Their sightings have been random. I’ll have to talk to Lizzy about this.”

“She knows?—”

“Yes, don’t fret Robin. She promised not to tell. I had to come clean after she was mugged trying to meet me—”

“Hang on, you’ve been meeting with her?”

Henry rolled his eyes. “How else were we supposed to know what’s going on? You couldn’t expect us to wait around until you finally decided to talk to Maria. That’s beside the point, the streets are dangerous, more so for them now.   
“Robin, you said you started training Maria to fight correct?”

“Yes, but only once, then she had to go back to school.”

“Good, Lizzy will be training her to use her magic. You’ll need to find a way to continue her lessons.”

“Yes, like I can just waltz right in and ask her headmistress to let me teach the art of defense,” Robin snapped sarcastically.

David laughed. “Like rules ever stopped you Robin.”

Though Henry was glad his friends were back on friendly terms, they still had business to attend to. “Robin you have the entire ride to think of a way, but you can’t deny she needs it. Let's head off, the longer we wait, the farther they get— Bloody hell Richard, have you been paying attention?” Henry asked exasperatedly. It was bad enough he first had to deal with a turbulent Robin, but now, even Richard seemed off lately.

“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry.” Richard mounted his horse and gestured for the boys to carry on.

Henry shook his head. Figuring this was a discussion for another night, they set off. While Henry and Robin planned their ambush, David trailed behind to fall alongside Richard who was once again lost in his thoughts.

“Richard, you alright?” David asked. When Richard didn’t seem to notice, David flicked Richard’s shoulder, startling him to attention. Realizing it was just David, Richard sheepishly smiled and scratched his neck.

“Yes. Sorry about that, haven’t been feeling myself. Did you realize St. Valentine’s was a few days ago?”

David scrunched his face. He was confused. “…Sort of? Why does that matter?”

“Oy Robin!” Richard called out. “Did you send Maria something? For Valentine’s?”

Robin stalled, even his horse seemed to slow down. “Erm, I sent her a book?”

“Did you actually add your name to the address?”

“…No,” Robin muttered.

“Really Robin, after everything she’s done for you?”

Robin shook his head and muttered something about being too busy chasing monsters and sending her letters when they got back.

“What about you, Henry? Don’t tell me you’re daft like Robin.”

Though Henry’s cheeks warmed from embarrassment, he made a face, annoyed Richard would think he’d forget about Lizzy. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I sent her a new pen. And what’s that got to do with anything? We got more pressing matters.”

Shaking their heads, Robin and Henry went back to planning their attack.

Richard nodded his approval. “What about you David, when will you pull a move on Cat?”

David laughed, “Sorry to disappoint mate, but I can’t compete.”

Richard groaned, “Another idiot. You can’t quit before beginning!” 

“She’s better off with someone else.”

Richard leaned over the gap between his and David’s horse to punch David in the arm. “Don’t you dare say that again!”

David scowled, “You’re one to talk, bet you haven’t spoken a word to Jane since Bristol. You didn’t even bother with the tavern girls, and you know how easy they are during Valentine’s.”

Richard glowered. “I just want to make sure you’re all taken care of.”

“What are you even going on about?”

Richard looked downcast. He shrugged his shoulders and turned away. “Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s happened. I…it’s just… I’ve had a bad feeling, is all.”

“Bad feeling? We can’t have you being like this.”

Richard groaned, “Yes a bad feeling. See, this is why I haven’t said anything. Can’t go around saying I have a bad feeling without rhyme or reason, can I? And knowing how foolish you lot can be with the opposite sex, I can’t help but feel the need to make sure my mates will be fine should something happen to me.”

David scrunched his nose, “You’re speaking nonsense. First, we can talk to ladies just perfectly fine and don’t need your help—” Richard snorted, but David ignored him and continued, “—Secondly, nothing’s going to happen, so stop speaking like that, you sound like a fool.”

Richard grimaced. Though Richard wanted to believe David, he couldn’t. Not when he felt a coldness gripping his heart. Not when a feeling of despair clawed at the pit of his stomach. He was growing frustrated. “I know it sounds like nonsense. But—but I can’t help it. Every damn morning, I wake up feeling dread. Like something bad’s about to happen.”

“Maybe you just finally realized how much you miss Jane and that there’s some suitor out there trying to marry her hand.”

Richard’s frown deepened. He stayed silent, thinking about the last time he saw her in Bristol. Richard looked up into the stars and sighed. That wasn’t it, he was sure, but it didn’t make things any better.

The De Noir gang continued their hunt late into the moonless night. They passed sleeping villages and traveling merchants. They passed a town that was still up, celebrating their mayor’s birthday. Then, they caught up to a lone caravan

“Could that be them?” Robin asked.

“Only one way to find out!”

The galloping horses drew nearer and caught the coachman’s attention. He turned back and his eyes widened. He whipped the horses into a gallop.

“It’s him!” Henry shouted. “It’s John! I think Michael’s there too!”

Robin gritted his teeth and quickened his horse, overtaking Henry.  The caravan grew closer with each second. He could make out the darkened silhouettes of the travelers within.  The men spotted Robin, and shouted warnings. They drew their guns and took aim.

Robin and Richard steered their horses to one side of the caravan. Henry and David to the other. They narrowly missed the bullets. Robin readied himself to mount the caravan and take John on when a soaring figure high above cast a dark shadow down over them.

It was Althea. She came down from above, flying side to side, and used her wings and talons to swipe at the gang as though they were mere flies. The boys were narrowly thrown off to the side of the rode.

“Take care of Althea!” Robin commanded. He and Henry continued their chase, fighting the bandits and dodging bullets.

David and Richard fell behind and shot their guns. Althea expertly dodged their bullets.

“It’s no use! Blasted bird is too quick!” Richard shouted.

“We’ve got to bring her to the ground!” David shouted back.

Richard looked around them. Althea was flying circles around them, trying to claw anything within reach. The only thing they could do was keep galloping and shoot her when she got too close. They were running out of bullets. There was nothing they could use. Richard cursed.

“I have a plan. Keep her away for as long as you can!”

David rounded up on Althea and shot a bullet that did no more damage than tear out few feathers. She shot a spell which David evaded.

Richard was trying to stand on his moving horse.

Althea was moving once more towards Richard. David needed to get her away, he took aim and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He was out of ammunition. Thinking quick, David shouted at Althea. Drawing her attention. He threw his gun with all his might and smacked her in the beak. She released a screech and flew down to get him. David yelled and kicked his horse into action. Running back and force down the road, he narrowly avoided her deadly grasp.

Though slightly shaky, Richard was now fully balanced, standing on top of his horse’s saddle.   
“David! I’m ready! Get her over here!”

David yanked on his horse’s rein and galloped back towards Richard. Althea soared up to the sky and turned midair. With another battle cry she came back down, her focus solely on David.

David was riding closer, heading straight towards Richard, Althea a mere foot behind David. Just before he could crash into Richard, David swerved his horse to the side, not sparing a second too soon as Althea was about to latch her talons onto his back.   
In that split second, Richard unsheathed his sword. He aimed for her underside, but his horse, frightened by the creature, moved and skewed his strike. Richard’s sword sliced off a talon and pierced into her thigh right as her claws sunk into his shoulders. They both cried out in pain, Richard fighting the wave of blackness threatening to consume him. Now raging with fury, and Richard pinned on to her remaining talons, Althea took off to the sky, her grip on his body tight and ready to make an example of him.

David tossed his knives at her, but he wasn’t quick enough. Althea cackled. She swung her legs forwards, tossing Richard into the air like a mere ragdoll. She jutted forwards, her beak aiming for his neck, when, with his last remaining energy, Richard swung his curved dagger, slicing her face. Althea’s face snapped to the side and she missed, her beak clasping tight onto Richard’s arm.

Richard screamed in pain and the two came tumbling downwards. Althea struggled to keep them in the air, but Richard’s flailing body and her injuries made it impossible. Before they could hit the ground, Althea released him, escaping to safety. Richard’s body landed with a sickly crack.

“RICHARD!” David yelled, running towards him. 

Robin and Henry stopped their chase and turned back. They spotted two black stallions, rider less, fearfully running in circles. Dread gripped their hearts and they raced back to their friends.

They found David with tears in his eyes and holding Richard’s bleeding body to his chest. Robin and Harry paled.

“Don’t just stand there! Lets go!” David barked.

Robin and Henry snapped out of their stupor and immediately worked to gather their horses and weapons. Richard was in and out of conscious. He groaned and withered with pain but fought against his friends’ hold. He could feel Althea’s poison tearing his body apart, to think Jane once dealt with this poison as well. Richard released a frantic moan.

Richard continued to fight against his friends. He was sputtering and moaning, “Paper—I need paper.”

“You git! A doctor is what you need!” David cried out. The boys desperately tried to stop his bleeding as they carried him on to Henry’s horse. 

By the time they arrived at the nearest town, he was limp, no longer moving. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Readers! If you are still reading this, you are amazing and spectacular, and just incredibly patient to the point of virtue. Thank you. I'm sure you all just wanna go straight into the story, but I just want to say that I'm gonna try to get Chp 10 out by May, so if you desire to continue along, thank you.
> 
> Also, please let me know of what you would want for Richard's fate. I'm still undecided >.<
> 
> Many hearts and thanks!   
> -gladsss


	10. A Growing Well of Secrets, A Sinking Friendship

"You idiots! Fools! Cowards! How could you let them go?" Charles cried in exasperation. He couldn't believe it! They'd spent months holed off in this decrepit place. Planning, waiting for another chance at the pearls. And now that they had it, they'd let it go! Charles knew if he'd gone with them, if they'd only let him, this wouldn't have happened.

"Don't blame us, blame her—" Michael's retort was cut short, ending in a timid puff as Althea stepped into the room.

There was a new crack in her beak. She was bleeding. She shot them all a glaring look of disgust. Daring them to finish their accusations. Though her glare glowed with anger, Charles didn't miss it. There was a glimmer of trepidation in her red eyes.

Michael and John scattered out of the room leaving Charles to whatever he was going on about. Neither were willing to be at the front of her rage.

"Why didn't you kill them? You could've ended it."

"Killing them wouldn't have ended anything. She wasn't there."

"It would have made things easier!"

"It wasn't part of the plan."

Charles stared straight at her. "You're afraid of her."

Althea stopped. Her feathers stuttered around her body.

"No—"

"—Liar, you don't want to confront her—ugh!" Charles' back crashed against the wall. The impact left him breathless and heaving for air.

Althea flexed her talons. Digging the tips of her nails into his exposed flesh above his collar. "I could destroy you."

"So then why don't you destroy  _her_." Charles challenged.

"Now, now, what do I see here?" A low voice came from the doorway and drew their attention. Althea immediately released Charles. Stiffening beside him. Even Charles' hands grew clammy.

"Nothing, Sir. We were just discussing what happened," Charles responded.

His dark eyes matched his cold smile in feinted mirth. "Is this true, Althea?"

"Yes," was her raspy reply.

"Very well. Follow me, I want to hear what happened."

Althea fell in line behind him. Charles released a breath of relief, only to cringe when he heard, "You too Charles, I want to know what is your matter of discontent."

* * *

Maria stirred awake and sat up. She rubbed her head and winced. Looking down at her hands, she realized why. Her palms were red and tender from weeks of practicing magic. At least she was getting better. Maria cupped her hands and a ball of white light began to grow. She bounced it up into the air where it stayed, shining a soft glow onto the darkened circles around her eyes and pale face. Maria smiled. A small smile that didn't quite reach her bloodshot eyes. She touched her pearls; Lizzy's lessons were working. Henry would be proud.

Despite her weariness, Maria concentrated and guided the ball of light around the dim room with her mind, illuminating her friends who were still asleep. She wondered why she was up so early. It was Sunday. There was no need for her to get up and rush to class. No need for her to hurriedly prepare the day's lesson. No need for her to be awake…  _or was there?_  
A nagging feeling at the pit of her stomach clawed for attention. Her years at Moonacre taught her to trust her instinct. Her instinct told her something was wrong. She needed to be up, alert. Maria sat against her headboard and rubbed her head with the back of her hand. She tried to remember her dream, or was it a nightmare? She wasn't sure, but at this point did it really mattered? Whether a nightmare or not, her sleep felt superficial. Maria remembered running. She remembered hiding, but by now her bad dreams had become so commonplace she no longer felt scared. In fact, she couldn't remember feeling anything, except for exhaustion upon awakening.  
Maria bit her cheek and inspected her surroundings, reluctant to leave the safety of her bed. Maria sent her glowing orb of light to the window. _Thank goodness it's still closed_ ; the morning sun was just beginning to rise and melt the spring frost on the glass.

Her thoughts wandered to Robin.  _I wish he were here with me,_ she thought, recalling the night before Albert's kidnapping when Robin had stayed with her. It felt like ages since she'd been able to sleep, ages since she saw Robin. Her smile returned, this time with a brightness in her eye. Along with her magic, she spent time practicing defense as well, teaching Lizzy and Cat what Robin had taught her.  _I wonder if he's remembered much else._

Her fingers fell lightly upon her lips. Biting her smile she tried to contain a small giggle. The girls continued to pester about Robin, but she had yet to tell them. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Though she was sure they would be the last to judge her for any  _impropriety_ , Maria rolled her eyes at the thought, she just wanted to keep it her secret. It was as if by keeping it a secret, she could believe in her heart it was more than just an attempt to break the curse. That there was a meaning behind it. Though she probably wouldn't admit that to herself. Not yet.

Maria gestured for her ball of light and it floated down towards her, seeping into her hands and spreading warmth down her arms. The light went out, she was once again in the dark. Much like how she felt.  
 _Seven months…Seven months since we fought Althea. My goodness has it really been that long?_ Maria couldn't believe it! She had been so busy with school, with practicing magic and defense. Her thoughts preoccupied on Robin's missing memories, their kiss, that time just slipped by as though it were mere sand through an hour-glass. She just simply couldn't understand. Despite the rising sun, the darkness deepened around her.  
 _How did seven months pass without a word of her—or Charles?_  That wasn't right. Maria was sure of it. In fact, the more she thought of it, the more she realized it wasn't like Sir Benjamin or the De Noirs to just sit around and wait for something to happen.  _Did something happen? Could they be hiding something—no, that can't be!_ Maria admonished herself for thinking such thoughts. But the gnawing feeling only grew stronger. Easter break was only a few weeks away. She needed to talk to Robin. She needed to see Althea. It had been long enough.

* * *

Jane finished braiding her hair and styled it into a side low chignon. Checking her clock, she put on her bonnet and tied a bow under her chin.  _Right on time,_  she thought to herself with a smile. She opened her wardrobe and looked through her coats. The weather was warming, green buds eager to bloom decorated the city. Jane picked a light coat, grabbed her purse and envelopes, and then made her way out of her room and into the parlor.

Jane reached the door, but it swung open before she could reach it.  
She swallowed her groan. "James, you're home," Jane forced a pleasant smile.

"Is that any way to greet your beloved brother?" James said walking past his sister. He ruffled her head, skewing her bonnet and messing her hairdo.

"James don't," Jane whined pushing her brother away. "It took me ages to get ready."

"Really? You still look like a pale toad to me," James said laughing.

"Bugger off," Jane scowled.

"That language! And here I thought you were a  _proper_  lady. Where are you going?" James' voice was light, a smirk was on his lips.

"To the post office. I'll be back in a quick second!"

"Ey George!—Is George home yet?—George! Seems Jane is finally sending Richard a letter, told you she would give in first!"

"I am not!" Jane stomped her foot and her cheeks turned into an angry red. "And George's not home! He won't be for another hour just like you were supposed to be!"

The yelling lured in their twin brothers. They were giddy with excitement. "Then show us!"  
"Yeah Jane, what do you have there?" They shouted one after another, trying to grab the letters from Jane's hand.

"You all are such buffoons!" Jane squeezed her letters to her chest and ran out of the parlor. Shouting their battle cries, her brothers ran after her. They chased her around the lawn, trying to stop her from reaching the street.  
Passerby's stopped to laugh at the scene. Surely gossip would spread around town, as if there weren't already enough rumors about Jane. No wonder she couldn't find a proper suitor. Not while her brothers continued to make fools of themselves and drag her down with them.

Jane lost her footing and her twin brothers tackled her onto to the lawn.

"Oh, you scoundrels!" She shouted angrily. "You two are lucky I am wearing a dark dress. If I get any grass stains on it, I'll skin you all alive!"

Arnold and Arthur pinned her arms while James pried the letters from her hand.

"Aha!" James shouted triumphantly. "Tsk-tsk-tsk. Jane, you've become quite the liar, haven't you? What is this then?" He brought a letter to her face. It was addressed to Richard.

"It's not what it looks like!" She defended herself. "I'm helping Cat, she needs me to seek some information from him!"

"What is all this hullabaloo? Boys, release your sister this instant!" Mrs. William's shrill voice was like an alarm that sent the boys scrambling off Jane.  
"I have told you more than once, you can't be doing this to Jane! Especially not out here for all to see! We're not a circus!"

James helped Jane stand up and sheepishly handed back her letters. She snatched them from his hand with a glare.

Mrs. Williams finished scolding her sons, especially James who had no business behaving himself like a child, then sent her sons off to help their father. She helped Jane clean herself off, remarking that at this rate, none of her children would ever marry.

Jane simply sighed. Without another word, Jane thanked her mother and began her walk to the post office.

"I hope you've written my regards to Richard!" Mrs. Williams called out after her daughter, earning another groan.

"Good Afternoon Ms. Williams! I expect you're here to send your usual letters?" The postman greeted Jane.

Jane nodded and handed him her parcels. He took her letters and began to stamp them one by one. Jane waited patiently to the side, inspecting the posters and announcements pinned up to the wall. One poster announced the new train connecting Bristol and London. She and her family were planning on riding it this summer to visit Maria. Her parents were eager to see Moonacre and all its splendor as Jane so often described it. Other posters announced the city's monthly events, news, and real estate.

"Jane, forgive my prying, but is this Mr. Richard Turner your suitor?"

"Excuse me, no!" Jane squawked.

The postman laughed, "Pardon my inquiry. We got a letter from him this morning addressed to you and I didn't recognize the name—and well with word going around regarding your courtship, I reckoned you two were courting."

Jane furrowed her brow, her face burning with embarrassment. The town had no business talking about her courtship—or lack of. It was to her credit the talk wasn't all bad, mostly to say pitying things. A shame that such a lovely girl, with a good name and background, would grow to be a spinster simply because of her brothers.

_Did Richard really send her a letter?_  She wondered to herself as she paid for her postage and rushed home.

Hidden amongst the garden, she sat down to read the letter. Jane frowned,  _what an interestingly colored parchment._ It was brown but crimson splotches stained the edges and corner. Jane squinted her eyes, surprised by the messy scrawl. Though Richard wasn't the image of pristine and properness, she never imagined his writing would be this messy. He just seemed, so, put together.

_Dearest most beautiful Jane,_

_I am sure this is not the belated Valentine's Day gift you were expecting—_

_—_ Jane snorted and quickly covered her mouth. As if she were ever expecting anything from him—

_—_ _or deserve, but I couldn't find a large enough envelope or a postman willing to deliver me—_

Jane couldn't help her laughter. Her heart grew light as she read the words, imagining his voice speaking them. She resumed reading her letter, feeling a lightness grab a hold of her heart. Before her heart could fill with glee, her smile began to fade. She paused.  
Shaking her head, she reread his words.  
Her eyes widened with fear and her face twisted with horror as she read the rest of the letter.

..oOo..

"Where are you going?" A quiet voice asked behind her.

Jane jumped and slammed her luggage shut. She cringed, hoping the noise didn't wake anyone else up. Turning around she found James just standing outside her room in the darkness of the hall. She didn't know when he had opened her door, or how long he had been inspecting her with a keen eye.

"None of your business," Jane's whisper snapped back. "And keep your voice down, you'll wake everyone up."

James shuffled inside the dimly lit room. "You've been crying. Why are you packing your luggage—hang on, are you running away?"

"No," Jane huffed rubbing her eyes. "I'm going to visit a friend. Now go back to bed."

"At this hour? Without telling our parents?" His eyes trailed to her desk where an assortment of letters and crumpled papers were scattered around. One, in particular, caught his attention and he reached for it, only for Jane to snatch it from his fingertips.

"Hand that over."

"No."

"Jane, I'll make a commotion."

"You wouldn't dare!" Jane angrily whispered.

James breathed in a lungful of air and opened his mouth wide. "Ja—" was all he managed to yell before Jane clamped his mouth shut.

"James stop it! Please! I need to go!"

"Why?"

Jane appeared torn as tears began to once more fill her eyes. "I—I can't," she whimpered. "You'll have to trust me."

"You've got to be daft if you think I'll let you out this room. What happened?" Jane vigorously shook her head, pressing her lips and eyes tightly shut.

"What. Happened."

Jane sniffed and shakily handed him the letter.

"What in the world, is this blood?" James asked warily eying the crimson stains that now appeared to be bloody fingerprints.

Jane nodded her head. "Richard's hurt, for all I know he could be dead. This was postmarked three weeks ago. Three!"

James sat down to read the letter. The first half was hardest to understand and was written by Richard himself. The rest was finished by Henry. His friends were taking him back to Moonacre but weren't sure if Richard would survive the trip.

"Who's this Althea?"

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

Jane recalled the summer's events and told James about the monster and Charles.  
"She got me too." Jane twisted her nightgown to the side, so that the buttons through the middle were now trailing her thigh. She unbuttoned two of them, and pulled the fabric apart, showing her brother the scar that ran from her hip to her thigh.  
"She cut through my dress. It wasn't deep, but her claws are poisoned and it eats away at you. I was bedridden for a whole week from just this measly scratch. Imagine what Richard's going through?"

James ran his hand through his face, still in disbelief that his little sister was off fighting monsters. He did not like it one bit.

"I warned you wouldn't believe me."

"That's not it. Are you telling me you spent your summer fighting off a monster with your friends? I knew those boys were bad news. I don't want you going back there—"

"Well, you can't stop me!" Jane angrily interrupted him. "All I've ever done is follow the rules and look what good that's done. Right now my friends need me. I will do whatever I need to help them."

"No need to get fussy and there's no need to break the rules, especially not now, not for this." James handed Jane back her letter. "Go to sleep, we're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Excuse me, what?"

James sighed, "Really, Jane? I've been doubting Mrs. Watson's praise of your intelligence since you fell for that country twit, but now you must be kidding me. You can't leave tonight. Your horse won't make the ride. Besides, just imagine what people will say? They'll call you a fallen woman—"

"I don't care what people will say! Richard is dying!"

James raised his hands and put a finger to his lips, trying to quiet her. "That may be, but you leaving this instant won't help anyone. Tomorrow, we'll leave on the train, I'll come with you. You may not care, but I won't have the city running amuck with your reputation. You've worked too hard to salvage it from our antics!"

"But what about your navel obligations?"

James shrugged his shoulders, "I'll go speak with my captain. We're docked for a couple of months, I'm sure I can pull in a few favors."

* * *

"Lizzy honestly, will you settle down?" Cat chided.

Lizzy and Cat were in their rooms. Cat was finishing her essay on Medieval History. The same essay Lizzy was supposed to be working on, but hadn't touched since receiving the assignment.

"I can't. I haven't heard a word from Henry. It's been almost two months. He hasn't responded to any of my letters."

Cat put down her pen and looked at their calendar. Easter was in a few weeks. She hadn't heard back from Jane either. She was probably busy with her family. "Lizzy, you can't do much else so you may as well not worry yourself to death. You'll only fall behind in school and make matters worse. You said he and the boys were out searching for Charles and Althea, correct?"

Lizzy nodded her head.

"Well, perhaps their mission is running much longer than expected?"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about! What if something went wrong?"

Cat shook her head and sighed. Wishing Lizzy would talk to Maria about it.

The days passed by in eager anticipation. Maria was anxious to return home. Her dreams continued to haunt her nights, even her tea no longer silenced them.  
Not only that, but Loveday's letters were much shorter and the gnawing feeling at the pit of her stomach continued to grow. She tried talking to her friends about her dreams but stopped after she noticed Lizzy growing more agitated.

Meanwhile, Cat was growing frustrated.  
She was frustrated with Lizzy for refusing to disclose Althea's escape to Maria. It was only causing Lizzy more worry and guilt.  
She was frustrated with Jane for not responding to her letters.  
She was frustrated with Maria for not talking to her about her dreams, even when she asked about them.  
Cat felt alone and in the dark.

Soon, the girls grew distant and hardly spoke to one another, saving any casual conversation for their fighting and magic lessons. Burdened with their own problems and reluctant to talk to one another, the air in the room grew heavy every day. Lizzy soon sought refuge in the library and Maria in the gardens. Cat saw her friends falling apart and felt helpless to do anything about it. It was times like these she wished she had another friend, someone she could talk to. Sometimes, she even wished she could write to David or Bast.

The week before Easter, Cat was alone in her room as always. By this time, Maria and Lizzy only joined her to sleep. She excitedly finished reading a letter from her parents and let out a happy squeal. At least one of her plans was working. Filled with a new sense of hope, she went out in search of Maria.

On their last day before the Easter holiday, Maria and Cat found Lizzy sitting at her usual spot in the empty library. Her book untouched as her eyes stared up at the ceiling. She offered her friends a soft smile, but there was no mistaking the sadness in her eyes. Her friend's arms were interlinked between the two and Lizzy realized it was the first time she had seen either of them smile in a while.

"Lizzy, why aren't you packing?" Cat scolded her sister.

Lizzy shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure I want to go home this Easter."

"Well, would you like to go to Moonacre instead?"

Lizzy's mouth fell open and she jumped on to her feet. "Is that true Maria? She's not playing a trick on me?"

Cat mockingly gasped causing Maria to laugh. "Lizzy, give your sister more credit. She's been worried for you, we both have."

"Ready your luggage sister! Our ride to Moonacre arrives in a few hours."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Hi readers... I'm back... I'm so, so, so, sorry for the super long hiatus. My life sort of took a unique turn that I wasn't expecting and forced me to abandon my writing for a while. I'm so sorry! I am however working on chps 11 and 12 to update so hopefully, I can get you all that out by September!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and seriously, thank you for your continuing support. I just logged onto AO3 after a long while and have been going through all the comments and I am so humbled and blushing and just so grateful for all of you! <3 
> 
> Thank you for reading,
> 
> -gladsss


	11. A Breaking Dam, An Overflow of Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH. I'm so sorry readers for the delay. Getting back into the style and habit of writing has been so hard! Sort of like when you try to run or do an exercise after a long time and your body just feels stiff and awkward? Do you all know what I mean? That's exactly how I feel. Like I'll be writing something, and I KNOW I can do it better but for the life of me I just CANT remember how to write it or make it sound better. This honestly makes me admire writers who can jump back into their writing.
> 
> Anyways, I had a really hard time with these next two chapters, but I hope you will all at least still enjoy them! This one's super angsty, but I hope I make up for the next one which I think is a lot fluffier than this one.

"Maria! You've finally arrived!" Loveday shouted to the approaching carriage. Maria's head popped out of the window wearing a beaming smile. Much to Loveday's amusement, Cat and Lizzy too tried to peer out the window, only to push Maria's sun hat off in the process.  
"Lizzy! Cat! Welcome home! I missed you all so much!"

Before the carriage could stop, the door swung open. Maria jumped out and ran to embrace Loveday, only to stop short.  
"Loveday, what's this?"

Loveday smiled wide, she could barely contain her excitement. "I'm expecting!"

Maria was overjoyed at the news and hugged Loveday as tightly as she could, without harming the growing bump of course. Albert would soon have a playmate and Maria would be home in time to see them grow and play.

"Now let's go get you girls settled in, Marmaduke has just finished cooking dinner and I can tell it'll be delicious." Loveday guided the girls into the manor. Turning to close the door, she scanned the edge of the forest. Loveday's smile fell and she bit her lip. She shut the door behind her, feeling guilty for not warning her brother of Maria's arrival.

Maria sat around the dinner table with her family and friends. Her weariness now forgotten, all she could think of was enjoying the holiday with her family.  _Surely the dwelling will be in a disarray, it's been so long,_ she thought to herself, absentmindedly poking at her food. _It'll need a good cleaning._ Perhaps she might even run into Robin. Her hand traced the corner of her lips and she felt herself warm. Feeling watched, Maria looked up to see Cat staring at her curiously. Maria quickly cleared her throat.

"Loveday, how is Robin?"

Loveday nearly dropped her spoon. With a quick side-glace to Sir Benjamin, she said, "Robin's well. Though I haven 't seen him in a while. I wasn't able to tell him you were arriving today. I'm sure he'd be here otherwise."  
"Curiously," Loveday continued, "I've noticed a change in him. I can't quite describe it. He does try to visit Albert as often as he can. Robin's grown quite fond of Albert."

"What about his friends, how are they?" Lizzy asked.

"I believe they're alright. They've been very busy lately, so I can't be sure," Loveday's voice seemed to trail off. "You'll probably see them during the Easter celebration—"

"Until Easter?" Maria interrupted Loveday, "That long?"

"Maria please wait your turn," Mrs. Heliotrope scolded. "A week isn't long enough to merit such behavior."

Loveday's smile faltered. "Erm, yes, unfortunately, it seems they'll be occupied until then."

Maria pursed her lips. Lizzy sat back in resignation and Cat patted her hand in comfort. "Perhaps we could visit them?" Maria suggested.

"The De Noirs don't have time for visitors," her uncle stated flatly.

Maria sucked in a breath. She looked around the table. Loveday and Mrs. Heliotrope averted their eyes. Her uncle didn't look up from his paper. Something felt off. The knot in Maria's stomach tightened. "Uncle, I've been thinking… I need to meet with Althea."

Noise around the dinner table came to a sudden halt. Mrs. Heliotrope dropped her chalice and Sir Benjamin slammed down his paper.  
"Absolutely not!"

"But uncle—"

"Maria it's dangerous and the dungeons are no place for a lady!"

"That makes no sense!" She felt her pearls grow warm. "How could it be dangerous if Althea and Charles are locked away? And besides, its not like I haven't been there a resident myself. I'll leave my pearls here if it's any consolation."

Sir Benjamin crumpled his napkin and tossed it to the table. "You are not to visit Robin, you are not to speak with Althea, and you will not be stepping anywhere near that castle!"

Her chair scraped against the floor as Maria stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "Why not?" She demanded to know.

"Because I said so!"

"That is not a good reason!"

Maria and her uncle glared at one another. Her anger was heavily illuminated by her pearls.

"P—perhaps it would be best if we all went to sleep and spoke about this tomorrow," Mrs. Heliotrope said trying to ease the tension.

"We will not repeat this conversation as it has come to an end." Sir Benjamin stood up and left the room without another word.

That night the Merryweather manor had an uneasiness about it. On one end of the manor, Sir Benjamin and Loveday were wide-awake arguing.  
On the other end, Maria was furiously writing in her journal. Lizzy and Cat were asleep on her bed with Serena curled up in between them. Maria couldn't sleep. She was still angry with her uncle, and perhaps, a bit disappointed she may not get to see Robin any sooner.

Maria set down her pen and gazed off outside her balcony window. She wished he was here, climbing up her windows. She wished she could just talk to him. What if something really was wrong? What if her dreams were trying to tell her something.  
Her stomach twisted, the knot growing bigger. Her uncle had been much to aggressive, suspiciously so. Maria closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, wanting her heart to calm down. For the past month she felt like a mess. Her lack of sleep and constantly racing heart only made it worst. Despite her attempt to remain stoic, her uneasiness began to seep through. Eventually, Mrs. Watson noticed and tried to ease some of her workload, much to Maria's irritation. Her tasks were the only activities keeping her sane and distracted.

Maria couldn't describe the disappointment she felt at that moment. She spent weeks pinning after Moonacre and just aching to be home. Yet, now that she was here, she only felt worst. Maria clenched her eyes tighter, trying to stop her tears.

Maria snapped awake and looked around the room. She was still at her desk, her cheek and neck sore from falling asleep on her chair.  
Her friends were still asleep. She wasn't sure for how long she dozed off. Serena was now sprawled across the space between the sisters. The fireplace was dimming. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Maria stood up and stretched into the air when she heard a noise.

A croaky growl came from her secret door.

Maria stilled and waited. There it was again, followed by a soft scratching sound. Grabbing her wooden practice sword, she readied her stance and pulled down the lever. The door opened with a groan.

"Who's there? I warn you, I'm armed. Show yourself!" Maria commanded the darkness of the secret passageway. There was no response.

Chills ran down her spine as a furry body ran between her legs. Maria yelped and jumped back into the air. She lost her balance and fell on her bottom. She came to face a familiar set of yellow eyes.

"Zachariah!" Maria lowered her voice to a whisper. "Oh you—you blasted cat, you scared me! what are you doing here?"

Zachariah's tail twitched. He stepped over her arm and strutted into her room. Maria shook her head,  _just as arrogant as his owner,_  she thought with a huff. He jumped onto her bed and stepped over Lizzy. Zachariah nuzzled Serena's forehead with his nose. Serena lazily opened an eye and scooted over, making some room for him. He however wasn't here to sleep. Landing back quietly on the floor, he walked past Maria who was dusting herself off, and sat at the foot of the secret entrance. He looked back at her expectantly.

"You want me to follow you. Can I bring my friends?"

Zachariah's tail twitched. Maria woke Lizzy and Cat and pointed to the black cat. She pried open the old trunk by the window and pulled out old sets of leather attire. In a matter of minutes, she and her friends threw on leather trousers, a black tunic, an old jacket, and boots.  
Lizzy ran to her room to retrieve her green journal and pen.  
Cat, excited they weren't just going to wait around for permission, grabbed Maria's dusty pouch of stones and a few pieces of chalk from her bookbag.

Maria reached for her lamp but reconsidered with a knowing smile. She cupped her hands before her, and a ball of light grew in the air. It was bigger than before and Maria quieted her excited squeal. Zachariah seemed to nod his head in approval before entering back into the tunnels.

They walked with a determined silence, following the black cat along the same path laced with dusty stones from the summer before. Along the way, Cat scribbled words of encouragement with chalk.  
Maria shivered, thinking of their horrible ordeal, and linked her arms with her friend's. Soon they arrived at the fork and stopped. Cat took this moment to write "Path to Moon Princess' Dwelling" on one side of the fork, and "Path to De Noir Seal" on the other. Though unspoken, they knew where Zachariah was leading them, to do the De Noir Castle.

"This is it," Cat croaked, her throat dry from all the silence. The party arrived at the old stone carved with the traditional emblem of a rooster and lion. Zachariah crawled into a small hole just big enough for him and melted into the darkness.

"Great, just how are we supposed to get through?"

"Maria, the first princess was a De Noir correct? Try your magic!" Lizzy suggested.

Maria's ball of light extinguished, leaving them all in the dark. She pressed her hands against the cold stone and concentrated on pushing the door open. Light began to seep from her hand, triggering a loud click. The outline of a door became illuminated and slowly swung open.

Holding hands, the girls walked through and emerged from a bookcase near a cold fireplace. Maria gasped, "Zachariah! This the Library!"

Seemingly unfazed, Zachariah continued to lead their way. The castle corridors were dark and empty. Maria was surprised to find a lack of guards patrolling the grounds. Though this made their break in easier, it didn't settle any feelings of unease. Maria dimmed the light of her ball, worried it would attract someones attention.

"Where are we going?" Cat asked.

"I believe he's leading us to the dungeons," Maria whispered back.

Zachariah stopped at the dungeon doors. There was no one guarding the entrance. He pushed the door open with his head. They passed the cell she was once locked in and entered what seemed to be a labyrinth of cells and corridors. Maria was thankful Zachariah led the way, she would have gotten lost on her own.

Cat made a noise in disgust, "Why would anywhere ever need such a large dungeon? This is just ridiculous. So much wasted space."

Maria chuckled, "The families used to be much bigger before so many moved away. Besides the De Noirs weren't too friendly, I'm sure the Merryweathers weren't the only occupants here."

"Erm—perhaps we should turn back?" Lizzy said with a slight tremble.

"What, why?"

"Wouldn't it be better to find the boys first?"

"No. I doubt they would let us down here."

"There's no way to know that Maria—"

"Actually, there is, Robin stopped me on New Year's."

"Hang on," Cat interrupted. "You saw him on New Year's? I thought you hadn't spoken to him since he chased you around?"

"Oh, are you sure? We didn't do much talking, perhaps that's why it slipped my mind?" Maria hurriedly tried to defend herself. She rushed to catch up to Zachariah with the intent to leave that conversation behind. She did not want to explain her rendezvous with Robin after failing to sneak in.

"Maria wait!" Lizzy called. "We should get one of the boys to help us! We're going to get lost."

"Zachariah knows his way, I trust him!" Maria yelled back.

Cat pulled on Lizzy's arm and whispered to her, "Lizzy what's going on? Why do you insist we find the boys?"

"We're in the dungeons—"

"Yes, I know that but—"

"—Zachariah is leading us to Althea. She's not going to be there!"

Even in the dimming light, Lizzy could see Cat's eyes grow wide.

"Girls, are you coming or not?" Maria shouted from ahead. "It's getting tricky down here!"

Lizzy and Cat hurried to catch up, but Maria began to feel like they were keeping their distance.

Zachariah came to a full stop. He sat in front of a cell. It was empty. Unlike the rest of them, this one was larger, with an interesting contraption in the center. It was made of wood and metal with iron chains and restraints.

"Zachariah, why are we here? Can you take me to Althea?"

Zachariah didn't move. He only stared back, as though stating the obvious, but Maria couldn't understand. She drew a frustrated breath, and then her eye caught a faint shimmer from the ground. Maria crouched low and brushed away the dust, illuminating a golden and black-speckled feather. Maria gasped. The floor was littered with them. She felt her blood run cold.

"Where is she, Zachariah? Was this her cell?"

Zachariah pawed at the metal gate, the gate squeaked open. This had to be it. It had to be Althea's cell.

"Zachariah, take me to Charles."

Zachariah and Maria ran past Lizzy and Cat.

"Maria, what's going on?"

"Where are you going?"

"Althea's not here!" Maria shouted over her shoulder.

"Maria please, let's go find the boys," Lizzy begged behind her.

"I'm sure they'll know what's going on!" Cat tried to plead to no avail. Maria continued running.

Zachariah stopped at another empty cell. Maria tried the gate which easily swung open. It was a cell much like the one she was once locked in. A few belongings sat on the cot, covered with inches worth of dust. Maria groaned. Dragging her hands through her hair, she wrestled with what to do. They weren't here. Where were they? They could all be in danger! But, no one had told her anything, perhaps they were simply relocated elsewhere? Maria's heart pounded at her chest. She heard her friends' approach behind her, but she paid them no attention. Zachariah sat in front of her feet and pawed at her feet. Maria nodded her head.  
No longer caring about making any noise, Maria and Zachariah rushed out the dungeons and towards the bedrooms of the castle. She heard her friends running behind her, asking her to stop, to wait for them, but Maria ignored them.

She banged her fist on Robin's door. "Robin open your door! I need to talk to you!"

Maria waited with a bated breath. As she readied her fist to knock once more, the door swung open, revealing Robin looking shocked and confused. His eyes were bloodshot and dazed.

"Maria? What are you doing here, what's going on?"

Maria stormed into his bedroom, "Althea and Charles are gone! Where are there?" She was pacing back and forth. Her hair had loosened and flew widely around her, giving her the crazed look of someone ready to break.

Robin tried to get her to sit down. He wanted her to stop and calm down, he was so confused he could barely understand what she was going on about. He stepped in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She finally looked up at him. Her eyes were red and rimmed black. She was looking paler than ever. "You're not sleeping again…" he murmured. Robin brought a hand up to her face and stroked her cheek. "When did you get here?"

Maria's bottom lip trembled. She furrowed her brows in disbelief and pushed his hand away. Sucking in a breath, she walked away and tried to remain steady, but Robin didn't miss her shaking hands.

"That's not what matters Robin! What is going on? Why aren't Althea and Charles here? Did—did they es-escape?"

"How did you make it past the guards?"

"Guards? What guards! There weren't any guards down there! Zachariah led me right through the door!"

"Zachariah...?" Surely, he must be dreaming. It must be another bad dream of a memory he barely remembered. Robin turned and found his black cat sitting on his bed and staring right at him. His tail was twitching angrily behind him. "What—how? When?"

"Robin! None of that matters! Why aren't you telling me what's going on? Althea is not here, and I need to find her! Where is she—Charles? Why don't I know anything! We could be in danger—Why aren't you moving or doing anything about it?"

Robin's shoulders slumped. He was tall enough that Maria could still see his eyes from underneath his curtain of messy curly hair. They were guilt-ridden. She already knew the answer deep in her heart. Its what she spent months having nightmares about.

"No, it can't be," Maria gasped.

Robin tried to reach for Maria, but she pulled away. She was in shock. Robin knew that feeling all too well. He ran a hand down his face wondering what to do when he heard a pair of footsteps running to his door. Maria's friends slumped on the door frame. They were out of breath yet still managed to bombard Robin with apologies and explanations, all the while averting their eyes at his state of undress.

Robin had no words to respond. He put on his shirt without bothering to button it up. He shot Maria an apologetic look and beckoned for the girls to follow him.

Robin knocked on another door. "Henry wake up!"

Lizzy stiffened and clutched at her journal.

The door finally opened, "Bloody hell mate what in the devil—" he stopped short and gawked at the girls.

"Sorry mate, go get David for me, will you?"

Henry nodded his head. He went back into his room to change. Lizzy tugged at Maria's sleeve, "Can I go with him?"

Maria nodded her head, too numb to fully understand or care.

"I'll go too," Cat said. Before leaving, she gave Robin's and Maria's arm a gentle squeeze.

Robin sighed, "Maria, I need to show you something."

"No—I won't go anywhere until you tell me the truth!"

"Please, I promise I'll explain everything once everyone comes back."

They walked in silence. Robin continued to study Maria from the corner of his eyes. He had never seen her so drained. She looked fragile, yet filled with a passionate anger. Robin wanted to kick himself. Just when things were finally settling into place, this happened. If only he had known to stand up for her. If only he had trusted her.

Robin stopped at a door and turned to Maria. "There—there is a lot that's happened."

Time seemed to slow down as she watched him softly knock on the door, the drumming in her ears drowned out any other noise. Robin grimaced and opened the door. Maria began to feel light headed as she took in a sight she would have never imagined. All warmth was sucked right out of her body. The knot in Maria's stomach ached and pushed itself up her throat.  
"Robin, what happened?" She asked. It was a room like any other in the castle, except for the mess of pots and a strong bitter smell of smoke and herbs. A small boiling cauldron sat on the burning fireplace. Glass vials and beakers littered the table tops and drawers. There was a large bed in the center of the room with an armchair beside it. Both were occupied.  
Maria gasped, "J—Jane? What are you doing here?" Jane was sitting on the chair beside the bed. She offered a weak and remorseful smile, "I'm helping care for Richard." She looked sadly to the bed's occupant. It was then Maria recognized the figure in the bed. His unconscious form was so pale, so still, he almost looked grey and lifeless. Maria's heart tightened fearing the worst.

"How is he?"

Jane's mouth tightened. "He won't wake up."

Maria felt a pounding weight crush from above and her legs weakened. Robin caught her before she could fall, but she didn't want anything to do with him. She pushed him away and leaned against the bedpost. It was then that she looked back to the door and saw her friends. The girls were overtaken with shock and fear. Henry and David were now with them, as well as a girl she did not recognize.

Feeling suffocated by the room's smell, Maria staggered her way to the door. Outside she sucked in a deep breath of air. Robin followed her and closed the door behind him, shutting out the light from Richard's room. They were surrounded by darkness; their only shelter of light was a dim flickering lamp above them. Maria stared at her hands, trying to grapple her thoughts. She was sweating, and her chest heaved with every breath.

"What- what happened?"

"Althea," Robin paused, "Althea and Charles escaped. We've been searching for them. We got a lead but Althea attacked us before we could catch anyone. She almost killed Richard."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice cracked.

"Your uncle didn't want us to."

"And you listened to him?" Maria snapped back. She slumped against the wall. Tears welled up in her eyes. "You more than anyone knows what it's like to be in the dark."  
By now she was crying.  
"Do you know how I've felt? I've had this sickening feeling that something was wrong. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I felt like my life was draining away… And all this time, had I known—had someone, you, anyone—just told me, I could have helped! I could have been here helping Richard!" Maria pushed herself off the wall and walked to Robin. Not breaking eye contact, she jabbed a finger in his chest.

"How long have you known?" She growled.

Robin tried to meet her eyes, but they were filled with hurt, with his betrayal. Robin's heart tightened, and a sharp pain shot from the scar on his back. Her look, it was too familiar _…_ Robin winced and had to look away. His vision became blurred. Robin groaned and leaned his forehead against the wall. He was no longer in the castle, he was in the forest….

… _Robin gasped and cradled his side. He was bleeding. His friends were shouting and trying to keep him on the ground. Across from him laid Charles squirming in pain. Maybelle and his friends were over him._

" _Robin, would you stop moving?" Henry barked. "We need to get you to the castle! You'll bleed to death!"_

_Robin shook his head and shoved his friends aside, ignoring the pain at his side. His vision was focused on a young girl running away from him. Her red hair and green silk dress stood out against the darkness of the forest. But she was fading, fast, he had to get to her._

" _Maria!" He shouted. Pushing himself off the ground, he ran after her. He stumbled through the forest and used the trees to propel himself forwards._

_"Maria, stop! I didn't mean it!" He finally caught up to her. Robin tried to clear his vision. He needed to prove to her, to make her see it was all just a lie. A stupid lie to protect her._

_"Then why did you say those things?" Maria cried as she turned to face him, tears streaming down her face. Her hair had come loose and what was left of her hem was torn and covered in dirt. Her hand was stained with blood, though now it was both his and Charles._

_"You didn't even defend me!"_

_Robin stopped in his tracks…to protect you?... He couldn't bring himself to say it. He regretted his words so much, but Loveday was right, he was a danger to her. Robin shifted his weight, holding back the words he wanted to say._

_Maria shook her head and ran away with Wrolf, leaving Robin alone. His damned pride. He fell against a tree and gasped in pain, only surrounded by the darkness of the woods…_

Robin shook his head. His vision cleared. He was falling over and was holding himself up against the wall. He was looking right at Maria. But she was older, more beautiful and stronger. Yet he remained the same coward who didn't do right by her. The damned fool who once again was an accomplice of her pain. Robin lifted his arm and supported himself on the wall.

"Since—Since November," he croaked through the pain from his back and headache. "Althea escaped in November."

Maria's breath caught. "Since November? Since November?" Maria walked back and forth. Her mind furiously working out the details. "And Richard?"

"Almost two months."

"…Two months ago…" Her voice trembled. "Who else knows?"

Robin shuttered. The next words would be the final nail on the coffin, but he was done lying to her.  
"Everyone, everyone except—"

"—Me." Maria finished for him. Her voice was sharp and jagged, broken with a pain that she tried and failed to swallow. She heard Robin trying to explain herself, but she shook her head. Not wanting to hear any more of it, she went back into Richard's room.

...oOo...

Their betrayal hung around Maria like a wall and kept everyone at a distance. Frankly, Maria appreciated it. She told herself the silence was better. It allowed her to focus on Richard. It was a distraction from everything else she felt. Her emotions were ready to burst and Maria avoided her family and friends, by now realizing they all hid the same information from her. She didn't notice the too friendly reunion between Henry and Lizzy; or how well the two worked off one another. Bouncing ideas and theories too quickly it almost seemed like a secret language between the two. She didn't notice the many times Cecille, who she learned was David's sister, caught David longingly staring at Cat; just wishing to talk to her but turning away at the last second. Maria didn't even realize James was chaperoning Jane, at least not until he came on behalf of Cecille with a plate of food.  
She just couldn't be near them. She ignored their many attempts to talk or help her. She ignored Robin's many attempts to explain himself to her. At their sight, she felt her anger boil and suffocate her from the inside. At least when helping Richard, she was distracted and motivated, even if just for a moment.

She worked tirelessly with Marmaduke and Jane by Richard's bed. At times she tried to use her own magic. Sitting by his side, her friends watched mesmerized as the white light flowed from Maria's hands to Richard's body. When she wasn't working, she spent her time alone in a guest room provided by Mr. De Noir. The few words she spoke were directed to Marmaduke and Cecile. Maria also learned Maybelle lived in the castle and began to talk to her some more. Maria appreciated the change in Maybelle's demeanor and the distraction she offered. She was quiet, and though still cold, offered to help Maria and Marmaduke in any way that she could.

Within a few days, Richard finally showed signs of healing. His magic-induced slumber seemed to ebb away, allowing color to slowly return to his face. He began to stir in his sleep and was now breathing easily.

Marmaduke dusted himself off with a satisfied smile and turned his attention to another person who was also in need of help.

"A piece of star-gazer pie for the princess?" Marmaduke clapped his hands and a slice of pie appeared before Maria. She chuckled at his trick but didn't feel like eating.

"Maria," Marmaduke gently called her. "You need to eat. We can't have you getting sick as well."

"I'm not hungry."

Marmaduke let out a sigh, "These past few months have been difficult for all. These past few days made all the more harder with these new revelations. Pain is such a troublesome thing. Though a bone can be mended with medicine, the heart requires a bit more than that. They were only doing what they thought best."

Maria snorted and rolled her eyes.

" 'Tis true. Had you known they escaped, your family was sure you would have left school and gone out in search of them. What good would that have been?"

"It would have done loads of good! I could've protected them!"

Marmaduke shook his head. "Their search hasn't been easy, and these boys have been working hard. You would have only wasted your time waiting around. Instead, you continued your schooling, are learning to use your magic, and are on your way to becoming a proper lady." Marmaduke finished with a wink.

Maria shook her head. "There was just no reason to keep everything from me. I could have helped. We could have all worked together."

Marmaduke sighed. "I know, but you can only understand their reasons if you talk to them. Besides, now that you know, isn't it best if you start working together? Avoiding them won't help anyone at all."

"What's the point? At least without me they can easily keep their secrets."

Marmaduke's mouth twisted. "I believe we've done all that we can. Richard just needs to rest now." He moved to sit beside her and pointed a short finger to the door. "Best you be getting on with it. No need to make matters worse. Moonacre is tired and heavy from curses and monsters."

Maria sighed and went out to the castle grounds. Her body was rigid from working hunched over Richard and her mind was in a fog. She had no energy to take in her surroundings.

She found her friends talking in hushed whispers. Even Maybelle and James were there. Cecile was most likely off doing her work.  
As she neared her friends, her legs began to protest every step. She heard someone laugh and her stomach clenched. With the sting of betrayal still wedged deep into her heart, she didn't want to talk to them. Still, she forced herself forwards. Her friends noticed her and stiffened. Cat anxiously looked around the group.

"I want to know everything."

Lizzy and Henry began, talking about their secret meetings. They clarified it was only intended to keep communication while Maria was away. They wanted to help Robin out without raising anyone's hopes. They didn't mean for it to have become so secretive. David and Robin then explained about the night they learned Charles escaped. Even Maybelle spoke, stressing to Maria that none of her friends wanted to keep her in the dark. Finally, Cat revealed when she first learned about it, saying she wished she could tell Maria, but everyone seemed to think it was best.

Maria pursed her lips. Her hands had grown clammy and she wiped them on her dress. Her friends anxiously waited for her response.

"You've got to believe us, we didn't mean to betray you. Honestly," Robin pleaded.

Maria nodded her head and said, "I think I need some time to process it all."

Without another word, she ran away. Robin tried running after her, but Henry held him back. Maria needed her space.

Sunlight faded into dusk and she offhandedly conjured a ball of light. Maria looked up from her daze. She was in front of the Moon Princess' dwelling. She closed the door behind her and sat down on the dusty bed. A heavy blanket of exhaustion fell over her. Her body's strength diminished, and she sunk into the mattress. Mara heaved a sob and her light went out. She was once again in the dark. Drop by drop, each hot tear rolled from her eyes into her hair strewn about her. Never had she felt so lost, so hopeless, so alone. There, in between tears, darkness took her into a deep sleep.

...oOo...

"I can't believe she's gone off and hidden herself again! How irresponsible!" Sir Benjamin was pacing about the room.

"It's ok dear, we know where she is. Marmaduke's already sent Wrolf to look out for her." Loveday did her best to calm her husband. She was weary and the last thing she wanted to do was argue with him.

"This is not at all how I planned this holiday to go," Cat muttered under her breath. "We were supposed to have fun and be together." David patted her shoulder in an awkward attempt to console her. Lizzy squeezed her hand.

Robin clenched his teeth. When they were called to meet Sir Benjamin, he thought it would be about finding Maria and fixing their wrongdoings. He was annoyed to discover it was more about hearing Sir Benjamin go off on another tirade about how Maria was to blame.

"Do you see this? This is exactly what I was worried about! She is clearly not responsible enough to look out after the pearls. She can't handle this information. She was better off not knowing."

"No."

"No?" Sir Benjamin asked as he turned to Robin. "No? Don't you see how she's acting."

"She's acting like anyone else would in her situation! It's our fault and yours especially."

"My fault? How in God's name is this my fault!" He marched up to Robin who stood up and met him eye to eye.

"She deserved to know, right from the very beginning. She's got every right to be mad at us."

Sir Benjamin scoffed. "If she'd known, she would've run off earlier."

"She's not a little girl anymore!" Robin snapped back. "She could've run away when she first found out, but she didn't! She stayed and worked day and night to get Richard back to health." Robin grabbed his hat and walked to the door. "She deserved to know the truth, she deserved better than our lies," he finished before slamming the door behind him.

...oOo...

Hours passed, and Maria remained deep in slumber. It was as if all her sleepless nights came crashing down on her all at once. So lost was she to the world, she didn't know Wrolf sat outside the dwelling, loyally guarding her door. She didn't feel Zachariah's nor Serena's weight as they curled into a ball beside her. She didn't smell the pine wood and leather aroma as he entered the dwelling. She didn't hear his careful footsteps approach her. She didn't see how anxiously he watched her sleep. She didn't recognize the taste of his soft lips, a promise he would make things right


	12. A Budding Love and Revitalization

Maria groaned. Her body was numb and she had no energy to move her limbs. They felt heavy with the weight of many days of work and sleepless nights. Maria yawned but a feather tickled her throat and she was hit with a coughing fit. She sputtered it out and whined. It seemed she would not be getting anymore sleep that day. She eyed the culprit, a bowler hat, and unless the heavens above granted her a miracle, she knew whose bowler hat that was. She brushed the hat aside and came face to face with a head full of shaggy curls. He was sitting on the floor with his head on her mattress, fast asleep. Her morning was just getting better and better.

Maria would be lying if she didn't admit a small part of her wanted to flick his head, but he looked so peaceful. The thought that he had spent all night by her side almost warmed her heart. She almost forgot how angry she was with him. Robin was the last person she wanted to see that beautiful morning.

Maria groaned once more, this time louder hoping to disturb his sleep. She sat up and brushed out her hair with her fingers, all the while looking around the room. She gapped at how clean the dwelling was. The sheets of her mattress, freshly laundered, smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg, much like the De Noir bedrooms. Maria finished her hair and walked to the crevice filled with her books. These too were dusted off, and there were a few books she didn't recognize.

"Strange…" She murmured, tracing the book's spine with her fingers.

"I put a few of my favorite books there as well, I hope you don't mind."

His husky voice startled Maria, but she quickly composed herself to shoot him an angry look over her shoulder. He was still sitting on the floor simply staring at her. Maria had no words to say to him. She huffed indignantly and turned to meet his stare with a glower.  
A few moments of silence passed and Maria continued to feel his eyes on her.

"Why are you here?"

"I couldn't leave you alone, not again."

Maria opened and closed her mouth in disbelief. "You—you think one night watching over me can make up for all these months? How could you? All of you! You could've gotten Richard killed! You needed me. Me and my magic."

"I didn't think you knew how to control it—oh," he cut off as Maria angrily conjured a ball of light. She tossed it to Robins' hat and set it afloat. Then with a gesture of her hand, she brought the hat back to her. Taking it out of the air, she tossed it on top of the books and crossed her arms.  
"I've been practicing and getting better while you all were risking your lives. You would have known if you wrote to me or responded to any of my letters."

Robin winced. Deciding he had given the floor enough company, he stood and cracked his neck. Maria cringed at the sound. He stretched high into the air, lifting his tunic to reveal the deep V-line of his abdomen cut in half by a trail of curly hair. Maria's eyes widened, and she went into another coughing fit. She fixed herself and steadied her eyes on his face with a deadly glare. She hoped he would mistake her redness for anger.  
When he was done cracking his body, Robin turned to her and sighed. "Maria please, you have to understand, we were worried and feeling guilty for letting them escape. You've done so much already. We were hoping to catch them without worrying you."

"Oh, I'm the one who has to understand? Why don't you and everyone else try to understand how I feel? How do you think I'd feel if Richard doesn't recover? How do you think I'd feel if it was you who got hurt? Or Albert, or Loveday?  
"How do you think it feels knowing this is all my responsibility for not stopping her from the very beginning?"

"None of this is your fault."

"Do you think that matters? The moon pearls are my responsibility. Althea is my responsibility."

"But you don't have to do it alone, we want to help you."

"So that's your solution then? 'Keeping secrets' is how you all intend to help? That is the exact opposite of helping!"

Robin fell silent.

"I just can't understand why anyone ever thought that was a good idea. It just seems so—so stupid. My uncle, sure, he's hidden plenty of things. But everybody else?" Maria paused to look at him. Her angry stare was now coated with tears. "At first, I thought perhaps you weren't at fault," Maria sniffed and began to pace.  
"After all, you did hate me—"

Robin interrupted, "—Maria, that's not it—"

"—No just listen!" She retorted slapping away the hand that reached out for her.  
"You hated me! You—you thought I was some witch out to curse you! It made sense for you to agree with my uncle. You could hardly care for a 'witch'. But then," Maria walked up to him. She placed her hand on his cheek and brushed her thumb lightly over his lips, "But then…" Tears trailed down her cheeks. "Robin, why? You had so much time to tell me…To think I actually thought you cared for me."

Robin hung his head until his forehead touched her head and placed his hand over hers, "I do care for you, a lot."

Maria scoffed, "Can you truly mean that? You hardly remember me."

Her words stung Robin more than any stab wound ever could. Robin wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his chest. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and began to cry.

"I'm sorry." Robin rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry for not trusting you then, for not trying with you. But you've got to believe me! I do care. You," Robin stalled and squeezed her tighter, "You—its strange, how much things have changed. I can't really explain it, but you've got to believe me I never intended to hurt you. Call me an oaf, the biggest in all the world, but please Maria forgive me, all of us!" He walked backwards, pulling Maria along with him, until his legs hit the bed. He sat down and settled Maria on his lap. She hid her face into the crevice of his neck, soft tears still rolling down her face and onto his chest. "I'm sorry. We—I underestimated Althea, much like I underestimated you."

They sat together in silence. Robin stroking her hair and rubbing circles on her back.

"Maria," Robin said when Maria's cries quieted to a whimper.

"I don't want to talk to you," Maria sniveled.

"Please princess, just listen to me this once, and if you don't like it, I'll leave you alone."

Maria bit her cheek but didn't respond. She wouldn't admit it but she was quite comfortable nestled into him.  
Robin took that as his sign to continue. "I know I've made plenty of mistakes. I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But now, more than ever, I need you. We all do." placed a finger under her chin and gently raised her face until her eyes met his. "I want to make things right and help you in every way that I can. All I ask is one more chance. With or without my memories, I'll prove myself to you." His thumb cradled her cheek. "I promise there'll be no more secrets. You have my word, De Noir honor and all."

Maria bit the smile that threatened to form, "Coming from a bandit and plunderer, I'm not sure that means much. However, I'll consider it."

Robin tutted, "I seem to recall the only bandit in this room is you. You swiped my hat off me!"

Maria rolled off his lap and into the bed much to Robin's disappointment. Maria pointed to his hat. "Well if it's really that special to you, go get it," She said with a crooked smile.

Robin shook his head and got off the bed. Before his fingertips could touch his hat, it zipped above him and towards Maria.

"I can't let you off too easily," Maria leered.

Robin laughed. He walked to her, suddenly stumbling backwards as he hit a barrier. Maria's hands were stretched in front of her. She looked strained but was still smiling.

Robin knocked on the invisible barrier, sending vibrations of light between him and Maria.  
"Is this a shield?" He asked incredulously.

Maria nodded her head, a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead but she refused to let it down. "I told you I've been practicing!"

Robin smiled wide, impressed at her skill. "Let's see how long you can keep this up," he said taking of his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

Robin took a few steps and pushed against the shield while pounding his fists on it. The shockwaves elicited a yelp from Maria who was now on her knees, using all her strength to hold up the barrier.

Robin took a few steps back and gave Maria a warning look. She stuck out her tongue. Robin grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He ran and tackled her shield, finally breaking through. She screamed as he fell towards her. Robin laughed and wrapped his arms around her, falling back onto the bed together.

His face pressed against the mattress, he muttered "Weak".

"Excuse me?"

"You need to get stronger," he teased.

Maria gasped and swatted his shoulder, "I'd like to see you try something like that!"

Robin smirked, "I was only playing." He turned to look at her and felt his heart stop.

Maria was smiling at him. A smile that reached her eyes and one he was sure he hadn't seen in a long time. She was glowing, the residue of her magic fading away but illuminating her copper hair and pearlescent skin. Carefree and wild, she looked like beauty unrestraint.  
He propped himself on his elbow and pulled her closer. His heart started and skipped a beat. Her side was flushed against his and he leaned over, seemingly magnifying the growing heat between them. He traced the fine lines of her face to her exposed and sleek neck, down to her flushed and glistening hands.  
Maria's heart quickened, and she felt a tightness in her stomach.  
With his free hand, he took hold of one of her own and brought it up to his face. He slowly inspected her palm and the back of her hand, turning her fingers between his, unaware of the shiver he caused her. Robin was surprised to see no sign of magic or strain in her delicate hands. He interlaced his fingers with her own and met her beautiful round eyes.

"You're incredible," he whispered. He brought her hand to his lips and softly kissed her knuckles. Maria's breathing hitched. She turned to face him and cradled his face with her free hand. A faint glimmer of recollection brightened and his eye darted to her lips. She closed her eyes, leaning forwards until her lips met his in a soft, chaste, kiss.

She felt him smile against her mouth and opened her eyes to marvel at their closeness.

Their tender moment was interrupted by Maria's stomach grumbling with bitter hunger. Robin chuckled and sat up, pulling Maria with him. "Marmaduke sent you a basket of food with Wrolf." He brought the basket to her and divided the food between them. As they ate, Maria learned it was Robin who kept the dwelling clean, with Cecille's help of course.

When Maria shared her favorite cookie, Robin asked, "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

"You're making progress," Maria responded.

* * *

"How's the sleeping beauty?" David asked Jane with a smirk.

"He's much better. I'm hoping he'll wake up soon. I can't stay much longer."

"Perhaps you should kiss him? If Maria won't do it, someone else should."

Jane snorted, "I've never kissed anyone before, not sure I want my first kiss to be when he's unconscious."

"Ahh, but you wouldn't mind kissing him then?"

Jane blushed. "I never said that either," she defended himself.

David shook his head, "If only the git was awake to hear that, it would've been a dream come true."

"Oh, stop teasing David, otherwise I'll have to go after you. You won't be anywhere near a kiss if you keep side-stepping Cat."

David began to splutter. Just then, Cecille stepped into the room with a fresh change of gauzes. "What's going on here?" She asked.

"Nothing! Jane was just telling me she'll have to leave soon."

"Oh, why's that?" Cecile asked. She and Jane had grown close.

"James needs to get back to Bristol."

"Does he have a family waiting for him?" Cecile asked just as James entered.

He snorted a laugh, "No! Not many ladies want to marry a man that spends most of his time at sea."

"Is that so? That's all we know here. Doesn't seem to difficult for us."

James leaned towards Cecile, "Why the interest, are you making an offer?"

David laughed while Jane gasped and smacked James behind his head. "It's not your job but your immaturity that turns women away!" Jane scolded.

Cecile turned bright red and excused herself, leaving the room in a hurry.

"Now you did it, you scared away poor Cecile."

* * *

Maria and Robin walked out of the dwelling, in peaceful silence. Robin had one hand in his pocket, the other grasped the hem of his jacket to form a crook that Maria wrapped her arm through.

He studied the young lady. Old and new feelings mixed deep within him. He heard her sigh, admiring the beauty of the forest flourishing in the spring, and his heart fluttered at the sound.

They came across the hill on which the monastery sat. "Come, Robin, I want to greet the Parson and his sheep." Maria decided to take a shortcut up the hill, ignoring the well-worn path that spiraled up to the monastery.

Robin held onto his hat as Maria pulled him by the hand. "Are you sure we should be going this way? It's slippery."

"Yes Robin, we're almost there!"

Maria began to struggle but she continued pursuing her climb with a determined step. Soon she had to maneuver her way around holes and muddy slopes. She missed a step and yelped as her foot stepped on a mud puddle. She slipped and fell onto her back and began to slide down. Robin jumped forwards and caught her by the waist. He pulled her up and held her steady.

"There you go, falling through the earth again," He chuckled.

Maria felt her cheeks grow warm and she pursed her mouth trying to stop her smile. After all, she couldn't let him off the hook to easily.  
"Were you worried about me?" She asked coyly. "I seemed to recall you once said you weren't at all."

At that Robin's smile dropped completely. He studied her carefully, his foggy mind forming the images of when she jumped off the cliff. "I did care, much more than I could admit."

Maria smiled.  
She straightened herself out and once again took the lead. "Blast these skirts and London boots!" She cursed. "I already soiled them! I was much better off in your leathers!"

"I'll admit, you cut quite the figure in my old clothes." He winked.

Maria felt her face grew red and chided Robin. "How scandalous of you to notice!"

Robin was suddenly struck by another memory. He turned to her, his face scrunched mockingly deep in thought. "You were the one studying my arse when we first went to the beach. I am simply returning the favor."

"I was not!" Maria defended herself. Her face was now a bright red. "I was simply letting you know how dirty and undignified you looked!" Maria turned to stomp away, only to wobble as her foot got trapped inside a hole.

Robin laughed, "Here let me help you."

Maria took his arm and let him take the lead. His hunter's eye quickly spotted a safe path and he began to lead her through it. They reached the top of the hill in no time.

The abbey ruins remained looking just as she remembered. Its deep brown stones contrasted with the beautiful colors of spring. Wild flowers littered the grass and the flock of sheep roamed the slopes eating their fill. The trees surrounding the holy well were blossoming, and at the base of the holy well sat the Old Parson, deep in prayer. Maria pulled Robin with her. As they neared the old man, he opened his eyes and offered them a kind smile.

"It's great to see you two together again," Parson said. "I was beginning to worry I'd be in God's grace before you two made peace." He chuckled and waved them over. The old parson stood and squeezed in between them. He looked into the well, gesturing for them to do the same.

"Look how the water fills and turns within the confined spaces of the well's walls." He turned to Robin and said, "If you were a single droplet of water floating about down there, what would you see?"

Robin furrowed his brow. Was this a trick question? "Erm, more water?"

"Yes, but not all the time! You would see water until you collide against the wall, and then you would see the water and a wall.  
"Maria, if you were a stone in that well, what would you see?"

Maria pursed her lip. "Possibly, the rest of the stones making up the well and the water inside?"

"Exactly! But as people gazing over the well, we can see the water churn against itself, steadily climbing the walls. We can turn and see the rest of the world and realize just how very small we are. Our perspectives and realities are constantly changing as we experience and learn new things. One day, we go about our lives thinking Moonacre is all there is, and the next day, there is an old mythical creature, once thought purely a legend, bringing havoc not just to Moonacre but to the rest of the world. And still," the Parson paused, looking between Maria and Robin very carefully, "You may one day come across a truth that will make all this seem small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things."

Maria frowned, "I don't understand?"

The parson took her hand and placed Robin's over her own. "It is only by working together, by communicating, can you see a bigger piece of the truth. Every reality and experience make for a complex story. And sometimes, even then you need a bigger eye, someone who can look not only into the well but outside."

"Someone like you?" Robin asked.

The Parson laughed an old throaty chuckle, "You flatter me boy. I am nothing but God's humble servant, a mere mortal destined to live for a short time in this world. Even my perspective is but a small droplet in the vast ocean of our world."

"What do we need to do?" Maria asked.

The old parson smiled, "What you've been doing. Helping this poor boy regain his memories and working with your friends." He tapped Robin's head with his cane, earning a laugh from Maria. "I bet there's a bit of crucial information in that head of his."

Robin blanched. What could the Parson be talking about?

"I expect to see you both at mass on Sunday. It's curious how Easter falls on the full moon this year. It's a revitalizing time isn't it?" The old parson winked and left to care for his sheep.

Upon arriving back home, Maria found her friends waiting for her in the parlor. Even Jane managed to leave Richard's side. They stood, and awkwardly shifted their weight. They stared at one another until Maria broke into a large smile and ran to hug her friends.

They apologized profusely to her. With tears in their eyes, they promised they would never do such a thing again.

* * *

Jane sat by Richard's bed. It was Easter morning; the sun had just risen. She was the first one up and wanted to spend time with Richard before the afternoon Mass. Her elbows rested on her bed, her head held by her hands in a silent prayer.

Jane closed her eyes, still seeing his many wounds in her mind. It was a sight that shook her, one she would never forget. He was heavily bruised. His gashes, though stitched shut, had only started healing once Maria used her magic. The pearls magic also seemed to help Marmaduke's potion take effect. Marmaduke had made sure to make an extra potent one, one that Jane took note off to give to Lizzy and Henry to record.

She understood Maria's anger the most. Blimey, even she was in the dark like Maria. Had she known from the start, Maria could have helped healed him sooner. His suffering and pain could have been cut shorter. She was certain he was only alive due to the mercy from the heavens or gods or whatever was up there. Jane shook her head, it wasn't fair. He didn't need to suffer the way he did. It made her angry just thinking about it. Especially considering how hard he fought Robin to be more accepting of Maria, or how much he worked to include the girls in their adventures.

Jane was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize a soothing hand was stroking her hair. She looked up. Richard was awake and staring at her.  
Richard softly smile, "Did I die and go to heaven?" His voice was strained and it looked like it pained him to speak.

Jane slowly shook her head, she was still in disbelief.

"I swear I am looking at the most beautiful angel in the world."

Jane was speechless. She blinked a few times before breaking down into laughter and tears of joy.

...oOo...

"I'll take that from you," Robin said as he snatched Richard's drinking cup from his hand. Mass had just finished, and the two families were celebrating Easter with the rest of Silverydew in the Town Square. Even Richard, feeling awfully grateful for a second chance at life, wanted to attend. They had to borrow a wheelchair from the town doctor though. Richard's long comatose stage left him gaunt and weak. He could barely stand. That, however, didn't stop him from trying to jump out of his chair and reach for his cup of wine. Cat and David to push him back.

"Ay mate what's that for?" Richard asked, demanding to have his cup back.

"Richard you're still recovering," Jane said. She gave him the final push that calmed him down. "It could be dangerous."

Richard scowled, "A little alcohol never hurt anyone."

"You're bound to get drunk off your arse and make a fool of yourself," Henry scolded.

"He's right," Lizzy added. "You haven't eaten much, and you can easily get intoxicated."

"Well would you look at that, don't you two make quite the intelligent couple," Richard snarked. "Besides, how much of a fool can I be while I'm strapped into this chair?"

Robin laughed, "You'll start gushing about Jane's knees again."

"Pot calling the kettle black!" Richard exclaimed, wincing when he felt a pull at his stitches. "You got drunk and walked through the snow just to visit Maria, only to turn around because you chickened out."

Robin was flabbergasted, "It was a cold night! The vines of her tower had frozen over and it was hard to climb. Besides, it was late too, I didn't want to scare her or get her in trouble."

"—Hang on," Maria interrupted, "When did this happen?"

"Your first year," Robin absentmindedly answered.

Richard paused, then narrowed his eyes with a knowing smile. "Well, at least I didn't get drunk and stalk my girl at her school like you did!"

"That was  **one**  time! Maria was mad at me, what was I supposed to do? Just stroll up to her school and demand to see her?" Robin paused. His friends were all looking at him funny. Maria's eyes were wide opened, she was staring down at the floor. Her ears were pink. Richard had an evil grin.

"You remember," Cat gasped.

Robin froze, now understanding the trap Richard laid out for him, and he fell right into it. Richard stretched his arms behind his head, ignoring his pain. "This is going to be good," He sneered. It was about time he got back at Robin for helping Jane's brothers lock him in the shed.

"Hang on, how do you remember that?" Henry asked.

"I—er—its—erm coming back to me, sort of?"

"How?" Lizzy pressed.

"When?" Jane questioned.

Robin sucked in a deep breath. He looked to Maria who only bit her lip in worry. "Erm…Early January? December?"

"Blimey, Maria's kissed him!" David accused with a snicker and it all clicked for Cat. She gapped looking between the two.

"They didn't just kiss, they snogged. And I'm pretty sure it was more than once," Richard said adding fuel to the fire.

"It all makes sense!" Cat said pointing to them. "Maria your sudden change in demeanor, how you kept changing the subject—oh my goodness it happened when he chased you around the library didn't it?"

"No," Maria tried to defend herself, but she was cut off again by Cat.

"That's why you didn't tell us about New Years! Thats what you meant by 'we didn't talk much'," Cat finished, mimicking Maria's voice.

"Oh alright, yes I kissed him! We didn't say anything since it didn't seem to work." Maria huffed.

"I can't believe it," Cat said feinting heartbreak. "Our own Maria hiding secrets. How will we ever recover from this shock?"

"Another cup of wine?" Richard suggested to a unanimous chorus of 'No's from his friends.

"I'm sorry," Maria assented. "From this day forwards no more secrets from each other, agreed?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"And I think we can all agreed that Richard needs to recover as soon as possible. He's as cantankerous as a bitter old man," Jane teased.

"If this is the closest I'll get to growing old with you, I'll take it."

"Well, then what a shame. You were unconscious throughout most of it."

Richard took her hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles, "If you'll give this old country oaf a chance, we could start over? Right from the beginning with a proper courtship, where I will properly woo you with all my charm and good looks, and we can properly grow older together. What do you say? I promise to remain conscious through it all."

Breathless, Jane nodded, "I would love that."

Their friends cheered and playfully gagged as Richard kissed her hand. Maria clapped her hands together and bounced on the toes of her feet, happy for her two friends. She turned and found Robin staring at her. A loving smile on his face.


End file.
